Secrets in the Shadows
by WingedGuardian137
Summary: PreHBP It's Haylie Damon's sixth year at Hogwarts. For once, she makes friends. She begins to be happy for the first time in three years. But Haylie has a few deadly secrets...R&R PLEASE!
1. Beginnings

**Author's Note: I know many, many people have come up with their version of the 6th book, but this is for entertainer's sake, 'k? Also, I want to know if you want my OC to be hooked up with Harry Potter. I'll make it like that if you like the pairing.**  
  
**_Secrets in the Shadows_**  
  
"Harry, dear...Do you have everything?"  
  
"Yes Mrs. Weasley," Harry Potter replied as he lugged his suitcase down the stairs of Number 12 Grimmauld Place.  
  
"Hurry, Harry! We mustn't be late for the train," Mrs. Weasley told him as she ushered Ginny, Ron, and Hermione out of the house. Two cars from the Ministry were parked outside.  
  
Harry stayed back for a minute, looking about his late godfather's old (and hated) home. A lump formed in his throat. Though he was partially relieved that he was leaving this place...this house that brought back so many memories...he felt he was leaving a piece of what little he had of Sirius.  
  
"Harry..."  
  
A hand lay on his shoulder. Harry looked up. It was Lupin. "We better get going," he said gently. Harry sighed, but allowed Lupin to lead him out the door.  
  
{{{{}}}}  
  
Harry, Ron, and Hermione, and Lupin were in one car while Tonks, Ginny, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were in the other.  
  
As they drove to Kings Cross Station, Harry stared out the window, looking back on the last few months.  
  
He had stayed at the Dursley's for the few weeks or so. The behavior of the Dursleys was pretty much the same...pretending he didn't exist.  
  
But Harry wasn't the same. He was locked up in his room the whole time, either sulking or writing back to the nearly innumerable letters sent by Dumbledore, Mr. Weasley, or Lupin. The only time he _did_ come out, however, was to go to the bathroom, or for meals. He couldn't stand being with his relatives, though Aunt Petunia was somewhat nicer to him. The pain he felt was nearly unbearable. By loosing Sirius, he sometimes felt that he wasn't really alive...like he was just an empty shell. It was as if a dementor had sucked out his soul.  
  
It had begun to get harder and harder to clear his mind before he went to sleep, if he could. All of the emotions tearing at him day by day, night after night, made it extremely difficult.  
  
When Moody, Lupin, and Tonks finally came to take Harry to the House of Black, he was hesitant. Staying in a place filled with bittersweet memories of his godfather wasn't exactly what he had in mind for and, at least, bearable summer.  
  
When he arrived, it was much like last time. He let out some of his anger on Ron and Hermione...but for a different reason. This time, he knew why he had to stay at the Dursley's. It was for his own safety. But, he was still furious that he didn't know what was going on.  
  
The only thing he did find out at the Dursley's, however, was a mysterious 'gas leak' that blew up a local gas station. Two people were killed and 3 people were injured.  
  
Mr. Weasley confirmed this suspicion.  
  
"You-Know-Who is starting to go public again, Harry," Mr. Weasley told him. "The war has most defiantly begun..."  
  
"Harry!"  
  
The voice jerked him out of his reverie. He then realized that they had arrived at the train station.  
  
"C'mon, you three!" Lupin said. "The train's leaving in eight minutes!" Ron, Hermione, and Harry clambered out of the car.  
  
Tonks, Ginny, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were already waiting at the curb. A few people stared at Mr. Weasley, who (though he was getting better at it) wasn't exactly dressed like a _British_ Muggle. He was wearing an American football jersey (the Patriots, to be exact), and baggy blue jeans.  
  
They quickly walked into the station and to Platforms 9 and 10. They went two at a time, Ron with Harry, Hermione with Tonks, Ginny with her mother, and Mr. Weasley with Lupin.  
  
When Ron and Harry burst through the gateway, they almost ran into Dean Thomas.  
  
"Whoa!" Harry said, bringing his trolley to a sudden stop to keep from knocking into Dean. "Sorry Dean!"  
  
"It's okay, mate," he replied. "I shouldn't have walked in front of the barrier. See you two on the train!"  
  
"Bye," Harry called after Dean as he ran off.  
  
When the rest of the group joined Ron and Harry, they had five minutes to spare to say their good-byes. Mrs. Weasley hugged each of them, but lingered when she came to Harry.  
  
"Be careful, dear," she said as she embraced him. She then kissed him on the cheek. Harry, though slightly embarrassed, hugged her back.  
  
"I will," he said.  
  
Mr. Weasley told all of them to be watchful of anything suspicious in the castle.  
  
"Have a great year, you four," Tonks said. "And...er...I believe you'll be quite interested with this year's guardians." She winked.  
  
"Guardians?" Ron asked, bewildered. "What guardians?"  
  
"Good-BYE," she said, making the point that she was not going to tell him. Ron stared at her, but he boarded the train none-the-less. Ginny and Hermione followed.  
  
Lupin put a hand on Harry's shoulder.  
  
"Be ready," was all he said. Not understanding, Harry gave Lupin a puzzled look. But he nodded anyway and boarded the Hogwarts Express.  
  
Ginny had gone to find Dean Thomas (to Ron's extreme displeasure), so the rest of them went to find an empty compartment.  
  
The only one that could fit the three of them, however, had a person already in it. She was asleep.  
  
Harry vaguely recognized her as Haylie Damon, a fellow Gryffindor. Her raven-black hair fell across her slightly pale face, moving faintly as she exhaled. Haylie had naturally tan skin, but now she looked a little ashen, as if she was recovering from a serious sickness. Her head was resting against the window.  
  
All three got a strange feeling about her, but they sat down anyway. Harry sat across from Haylie. As the train started to move, her head moved slightly upward, her hair moving off of her thin face. To Harry's astonishment, he could see a long scar running along her cheekbone.  
  
"I wonder what that's from," he said softly.  
  
"You mean her scar?" Hermione said. "It's probably from a curse or something like that."  
  
"Do you think she's really asleep?" Harry said in a low voice.  
  
"Yah, why?" Ron said. Harry hesitated, watching Haylie for a moment. He leaned over to Ron and Hermione.  
  
"I had a dream last night...about Voldemort," he said quietly. "It was short though. I didn't catch all the details. All I could hear was him saying 'She knows too much. She'll be a significant aid to find a way to kill Potter...'"  
  
"Tell Dumbledore," Ron and Hermione said at once. Harry knew this was true, but after last year, he wasn't sure if he wanted to speak with the Headmaster at all.  
  
"I will," he lied.  
  
Unbeknownst to them, someone uninvited was listening in heard their conversation.  
  
[[[[[[[[[ ]]]]]]]]]  
  
The next hour came and went without much talking. The food trolley came around, and they ate their purchases in silence, contemplating their own thoughts. Haylie suddenly started to stir. Her eyes opened. Harry was startled.  
  
Her eyes were quite strange. They were wolf-like...grey with flecks of yellow. A rim of black encircled the iris.  
  
"Excuse me, Harry," she mumbled as she stood up, not looking at him. She went past Hermione and Ron and out the door. To Harry's surprise, she spoke without a British accent.  
  
"Is she American?" Harry asked Hermione.  
  
"Yah, her parents moved to London when she was two," she answered. "Well...that's what I heard, anyway. No one really knows anything about her. She's not very social."  
  
"I could tell," Ron said. "She's in almost all of our classes. Haylie is always in the back. She's kind of strange, if you ask me..."  
  
"Ron!" Hermione scolded. "She's not strange. Haylie's just lonely. She's very smart, you know. I heard she got Outstanding in all her O.W.L.'s."  
  
"Exactly! Being _that_ smart makes a person nutty, in my opinion," Ron teased.  
  
Hermione chucked a Pumpkin Pastry at him.


	2. The New Year Starts

**Author's Note: Thank you, Infernolist, for reviewing. You get 10 cookies!!!! And the rest of you (glares at readers) REVIEW!!!!!!!  
**  
**_Secrets in the Shadows  
_**  
**Chapter 2: The Year Starts  
**  
A few minutes later, Haylie came back into the compartment and sat down. She didn't speak, just watched the landscape rush past out the window. She seemed unaware by the other's presence.  
  
Just then, the compartment door slid open. To the three's disgust, it was Draco Malfoy, Vincent Crabbe, and Gregory Goyle.  
  
"Hello, Potty...Weasel..._Mudblood_," he sneered.  
  
"Move it or loose it, Malfoy," Harry said, standing up. Ron and Hermione did the same.  
  
"Why should I, Potter?" he spat. "You're not a prefect, now,_ are_ you?"  
  
"No, but we are," Hermione challenged, motioning to Ron.  
  
"Oh, I'm_ so_ scared," Draco mocked. Hermione whipped out her wand, pointing it at Malfoy.  
  
"You should be," she snapped.  
  
"You know you're not allowed to use magic on the train," Malfoy told her, a small sliver of apprehension in his eyes. Hermione was a powerful witch.  
  
"Do I see fear in your eyes, Malfoy?" Hermione smirked. "You're actually _intimidated_ by a _Muggle-Born?"_  
  
Malfoy suddenly drew his wand, and shouted, _"Expelliarmus!"_ Hermione's wand clattered against the window.  
  
"No, actually I'm not," he said to Hermione, sneering once again. Suddenly, a voice shouted _"Rasgunus!"_ A stream of white light hit Malfoy in the chest. Nothing happened for a few seconds...but then Malfoy started itching his arm restlessly. He started scratching his other arm, then his legs, and then his chest.  
  
"What the heck? I'm burning all over!" he said. He suddenly yelled in frustration as the itching got worse. He ran out of the compartment. Crabbe and Goyle followed.  
  
"You haven't heard the last of me, Potter!" Malfoy called over his shoulder.  
  
"Harry! Why'd you do that?" Hermione scolded. "Now he's going to tell a teacher as soon as we get to school!"  
  
"I didn't do it, Ron did," Harry said, looking toward Ron.  
  
"What? No, I didn't! I thought it was you," Ron said defensively.  
  
"Then who...?"  
  
They all turned to Haylie, who was still staring out the window. Harry could have sworn he saw her hand slip something into her pocket, a slight grin on her face.  
  
{{{{}}}}  
  
When the train finally stopped at Hogsmead, they could see groups of Aurors keeping watch and accompanying students to their carriages.  
  
"Extra security," Ron mumbled to Harry. He nodded. The three got up and went the door and off the train. Haylie, however, lagged behind. The three didn't notice, but started walking toward the carriages.  
  
"Harry, over here!" a familiar gruff voice called. He turned to see who it was. It was Mad-Eye Moody.  
  
"Hello," Harry said as Mad-Eye hobbled over to them. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"I'm here to escort you to the castle," he said. "Is there another person to go with you? We're trying to fill up the carriages. Safety measure."  
  
"Er...we could find Neville..." Ron suggested.  
  
"How 'bout that young lady over there?" Mad-Eye asked, his magical eye pointing to the back of his head. He jabbed his thumb over his shoulder. Harry looked to where he was pointing.  
  
It, of course, was Haylie Damon. She was calmly standing amidst the crowd, as if waiting for it to clear.  
  
"Haylie!" Hermione called. Haylie glanced toward them, a surprised look on her face. She walked over.  
  
"Yah?" she asked, giving Mad-Eye a weary look.  
  
"Do you want to ride with us?" Hermione asked. Haylie thought for a moment, then shrugged, and nodded.  
  
"It's settled then," Mad-Eye said. "Let's go.  
  
The five of them walked toward the line of carriages. Harry looked at the thestrals harnessed to then with a heavy heart. At the corner of his eye, he saw Haylie staring at them, too. She was biting her lip. She finally tore her stare away from them, her grey eyes watering up. She took a deep breath, and then climbed into the carriage.  
  
Harry felt a pang of pity for her. He guessed that she, too, had watched someone die. He, too, climbed into the carriage, sitting beside her. Ron, Hermione, and Mad-Eye followed.  
  
The carriages started to move. Harry watched as the castle loomed in the distance.  
  
When the gates came into view, Ron gasped.  
  
_"Bloody 'ell..."  
_  
Two Sphinxes were guarding the gate.  
  
"Oh, my..." Hermione breathed, staring at them in astonishment.  
  
"Yes...beautiful, aren't they?" Mad-Eye said. "Dumbledore _was_ thinking along the lines of dragons, but they were too...er..._dangerous_."  
  
As they drew closer to the magnificent beasts, Haylie suddenly spoke.  
  
"What's the riddle?"  
  
"Eh?" Mad-Eye grunted.  
  
"The riddle to get in...what is it?"  
  
"I can't tell yah," he said, winking with his regular eye. "Top secret."  
  
"Oh," she said, turning back to watch the Sphinxes pass by.  
  
When the carriages stopped and the group climbed out, they joined the crowd of 3rd years-plus swarming into the castle. They walked into the Great Hall and sat down at their tables. The first years came up to the front to be sorted.  
  
As they were being sorted, Ron asked Harry, "See anyone new?" Harry stood up, looking over to the table were all the professors sat. No new faces.  
  
"Nope," Harry replied, sitting down.  
  
"Wonder who the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher is, then..." Hermione said thoughtfully.  
  
"Yah..."  
  
When the sorting was over, Dumbledore stood up.  
  
"Welcome to a new year," he said, his arms spread. "Now, as you might have noticed, we have new guardians. I would advise that you not cross their path, unless you're a being of supreme intelligence..." He looked directly at Hermione when he said that. She turned a little pink.  
  
"As you might know, Lord Voldemort has returned and is active once again. We need to be vigilant to our surroundings. If you find anything suspicious, alert one of the professors. They will take care of it.  
  
"Now, for the better news...Quidditch try-outs will be held for the Houses Ravenclaw and Gryffindor..."  
  
"Gryffindor?" Harry said. "But...all the positions are filled..."  
  
"They need a new Beater," Ron said. "One of them, Andrew Kirk, was a 7th year. He could only play that year."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Now," Dumbledore said. "Enough talk! Let the feast begin."  
  
Food and drink suddenly appeared on the table. Ron and Harry grinned as Hermione started to eat immediately.  
  
"What about your 'spew' thing?" Ron asked. Hermione sighed.  
  
"How many times do I have to tell you, Ron?" she said. "It's 'S.P.E.W.' not _'spew'_! Anyway, I decided to drop it. It's just too much work. And nobody really seems interested in it."  
  
"Now why would they think that?" Ron said sarcastically. Hermione hurled a rather large piece of chicken at him.  
  
"Hey!" Ron exclaimed. "What is this? Chuck-Food-At-Ron Day or something?"  
  
"Perhaps," she answered, getting back to eating. Ron rolled his eyes. 


	3. New Teacher and Quidditch

**Author's note: I know that you might be thinking 'who is the new DADA teacher?' Well, I'm adding him/her in this chapter, 'k? Just clearing that up! Thank you, dragonwing, for reviewing!!!!  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling does. If I was J.K. Rowling, I would not have let Sirius Black get killed.**  
  
**_Secrets in the Shadows  
_**  
**Chapter 3: New Teacher and Quidditch  
**  
Before they were dismissed to go to their Houses, Dumbledore stood up.  
  
"I know that you all are ready for bed, but I must tell you something I have forgotten. I know most of you want to know who the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher is going to be," he said. Ron, Harry, and Hermione waited anxiously.  
  
"Professor Snape, along with the responsibility with his other classes, has agreed to take up the open spot." Snape stood up as scattered applause went up across the Great Hall.  
  
Harry's, Ron's, and Hermione's jaws dropped.  
  
"_Snape_ is going to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts???" Harry hissed.  
  
"That's what Dumbledore said," Hermione replied weakly.  
  
"This is _not_ going to be a good year," Ron said. Hermione and Harry nodded in agreement.  
  
"That will be all," Dumbledore said. "You may go to your Houses and rest up for a new year!"  
  
"C'mon," Hermione said to Ron, standing up. "We need to show the first years to the House. And Ron..." She looked at him apprehensively. "Don't call them midgets, again."  
  
"I'll try not to," he replied.  
  
"First years! First years over here!" Hermione called. All the first years lined up in front of her. Ron leaned over to Harry.  
  
"She's good at this," Ron told him. Harry laughed. Just then, he felt someone tap him on the shoulder. He turned around. It was Professor McGonagall.  
  
"May I see you in my office for a minute?" she asked. Seeing the alarmed look on his face, she said, "Don't worry, Potter. You're not in trouble."  
  
Feeling relieved, Harry stood up and followed Professor McGonagall out of the Great Hall. They went up to her office.  
  
When they got in, she told Harry to sit down. She then sat down behind her desk.  
  
"Harry," she said slowly. "Due to the events last year, you will be having training lessons every weekend. To prepare yourself if You-Know-Who decides to...well...attack."  
  
Harry was silent for a minute. So this is what Lupin meant when he said 'Be ready.'  
  
"Who's training me?"  
  
"Well...the Headmaster is, actually," she said.  
  
"Oh," he said simply, though feeling his stomach drop. "Well, is that all you wanted to tell me?"  
  
"No, actually," she replied. She pulled out Harry's Firebolt and handed it to him. Harry stared at McGonagall, puzzled.  
  
"Ginny Weasley has given up her position as Seeker on the Gryffindor team," she explained. "So you can play on the team again."  
  
"W-Why?" he asked.  
  
"I would advise that you ask her," the professor said. "Now, Potter, I suggest that you get to your House and get to bed."  
  
"Yes Professor," Harry replied, standing up, carrying his broom with him. He almost sprinted to the Gryffindor common room in excitement.  
  
When he arrived, Ron and Hermione were already waiting for him.  
  
"What did McGonagall want you for?" Ron asked.  
  
"Well, she wanted to tell me I was back on the Quidditch team," Harry replied, holding out his broom.  
  
"What?!" Ron exclaimed. "But that would mean that Ginny...GINNY! COME OVER HERE!"  
  
"Yah?" she said, walking over.  
  
"You dropped out of the team, just so Harry could get back on it?" Ron asked.  
  
"Yah. So? I was going to do it once that Umbridge woman was sacked, anyway," she told them casually. She ignored the stunned looks on Harry and Ron's faces and walked away.  
  
"She really likes you, mate," Ron said to Harry seriously.  
  
"Nah, she likes Dean," Hermione said. "Anyway, I'm going to bed. 'Night."  
  
She walked up the stairs to the girls' dorm room. Harry and Ron went into their dorms also.  
  
{{{{}}}}  
  
The next few days were the same as always. Except for the fact that they had Snape in two classes instead of just one.  
  
The only thing that consoled Harry was the fact that Quidditch practice would soon start. Also, the try-outs for the new position of Beater would keep him out of Potions for one day.  
  
That day came a little overcast. Harry and Ron were dismissed from Potions, (to Snape's dissatisfaction) and went down to the Quidditch fields.  
  
A short line of Gryffindors (about 5) were standing along the sidelines, waiting to try out for the position of Beater.  
  
Ron and Harry stood beside the other players. Angelina Johnson, the team captain, was pacing back and forth in front of the contestants, telling them the basic rules of being a Beater, sportsmanship, etc. Finally, she called up people to try out.  
  
"Allen, Jake," Angelina called. A boy with blue eyes and dark brown hair stepped up. It looked like his was a third year.  
  
"Alright Jake," Angelina said, handing him a bat. "I'm going to set loose a Bludger. I want you to block it as many times as possible in a minute. Be careful."  
  
Jake, looking grim, swung a leg over his broom and took off. Angelina walked over to the case that held the Bludgers.  
  
"Ready?" she called to Jake. He nodded.  
  
"GO!"  
  
Jake zoomed around, hitting the Bludger only 3 times until Angelina called time.  
  
"Okay," she said, silently praying that the rest wouldn't be as bad. "Next up is...Haylie Damon."  
  
Ron and Harry, who were playing with some of the fake wands Fred and George gave them over the summer, looked up when they heard her name.  
  
Haylie walked up. Harry saw that she was carrying one of the brooms that he would refuse to have; a Nimbus 2001...the same broom Malfoy had.  
  
"Haylie, you heard what I told Jake, right?" Angelina asked. She nodded, mounted her broom, and took off.  
  
"Ready?"  
  
Haylie nodded.  
  
"GO!"  
  
Haylie raced around the Quidditch field, chasing the Bludger more then it chased her. When Angelina called time, she had hit the Bludger off its course about 15 times. She had a pretty strong arm.  
  
"Very good!" she told Haylie as she landed. Haylie just smiled as a thank you and walked back into the line. The rest of the try-outs went by pretty quickly, but no one got as many hits as Haylie did.  
  
Angelina told them that she would post the results in the Gryffindor common room tomorrow and dismissed them. As Haylie walked out, some of the people who tried out came over and congratulated her on how well she did. She just smiled and mumbled 'thank you'. Harry and Ron ran up to her.  
  
"I didn't know you liked Quidditch," Ron said. "You're really good!"  
  
"Well, nobody knows much about me, now, do they?" she said, her voice just barely audible. She didn't keep eye-contact with them. "I've got to go. Herbology."  
  
She quickly walked off ahead of them.  
  
"Not very social, that one...is she?" Ron said, watching her walk into the castle.  
  
"No, not at all," Harry agreed. 


	4. Breaking Out

Author's note: Only 2 reviews after 3 chapters??? (cries) I feel so unloved!!!! And I'm not going to be posting for a few weeks. I'm going to a bunch of places for the summer. I'll try to get on my relative's computers, though!  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Simple as that.

**_Secrets in the Shadows_**

**Chapter 4: Breaking Out**

{{{{}}}}  
  
**_"Natasha?" Lia said, frightened. "Natasha, what's happening to you?"  
  
She saw it happening, but she couldn't stop it. Lia backed away as her friend screamed, writhing and twisting in pain as she transformed. Suddenly, a low growl emitted from her mouth. Lia started to run. She followed on her four paws, howling as she went.  
  
Lia slowed. A branch snapped. Lia whipped around...facing the black monster, its fangs gleaming in the moonlight.  
  
"Natasha! NO!" she screamed as the monster slashed at her with three-inch claws. The girl, hidden deep inside the beast, mentally screamed at herself to stop. She could see the wounds on her friend's face. Blood was dripping freely from them. But the animal, now free to do what it pleased, was attracted to the smell and sight of human blood.  
  
Knowing what was going to happen next, the girl tried with all her might to stop herself, to run away. It was no use. The predator, with its jaws open wide, bit down on its victim's neck with fatal vigor. Lia struggled, but in a few seconds, fell limp.  
  
The werewolf then devoured its prey, howling hauntingly...  
_**  
Haylie woke up, her thin body covered in sweat, her face covered in tears. This nightmare was not uncommon to her. It was her worst memory coming back to haunt her.  
  
She silently pushed back the curtains of her four-poster and grabbed her wand.  
  
_"Oculta"_ she whispered, pointing to herself with her wand. Soft green light emitted from it. Suddenly, she felt a cold sensation. She looked down. She was transparent. Satisfied, she then walked quietly out of the girl's dorm room.  
  
As she made her way across the common room, she stepped on a piece of parchment. She picked it up and read it. It was someone's Potions homework. She tucked it into her pocket, just in case a house-elf came up and thought it was trash. She climbed out of the portrait hole, with the Fat Lady squawking "Who's that? Who's there?"  
  
Haylie said nothing, just walked on, happy to take a stroll about the castle, unheeded.  
  
Wandering around the fourth floor, she decided to go to her favorite place...the Room of Requirement. She thought hard of some place that she could sleep in for a few hours. A place that would have a Dream-less sleeping draught. It was Saturday night, so she didn't have to worry about the girls in her dorm getting suspicious when they see her empty bed.  
  
As Haylie concentrated hard on her wish, she saw a door appear out of nowhere.  
  
Smiling with relief, she put her hand on the door-knob...  
  
"Oof!" a disembodied voice exclaimed as it bumped into Haylie. "What the...?"  
  
Haylie drew a sharp intake of breath when the person whipped off a cloak. It was Harry Potter.  
  
"Who's there?" he said quietly, his wand out and ready. Haylie pointed her wand at herself, and whispered, _"Atluco."_ She became visible. Harry jumped back, saying, _"Lumos!"_ as he did to see who the stranger was.  
  
"Haylie? What are you doing here?" Harry asked. Haylie stared at him with an annoyed look. She didn't want to be disturbed.  
  
"I wanted to go for a stroll," she told him. "I couldn't sleep."  
  
"I know how you feel," he replied. He waited for her to say something. She didn't, so he said, "I'll be going..." and walked off.  
  
_Having those training sessions, eh, Harry?_ she thought as she waited for his footsteps to die away. _Poor guy. He's been through enough_ _already..._  
  
She then entered the Room of Requirement. A large four-poster stood at one end of the somewhat small room. On the bedside table was the sleeping draught she wished for. A lamp in the far corner cast the room in a soft shadow. Haylie walked up to the bed and sat down. She picked up the vial of potion and drank it down. In seconds she felt extremely drowsy, and she drifted off to sleep.  
  
{{{{}}}}  
  
The next morning, at around 6:00 A.M., Haylie woke up and left the Room of Requirement, somewhat refreshed, but still upset from the nightmare that night.  
  
When she got to the Gryffindor common room, she sat down on one of the armchairs, watching the smoldering fire, thinking. A few people started to come down also, either carrying a book to read or some homework. One of them was Hermione Granger.  
  
Remembering the parchment she found the other night, she got out of the chair and walked over to Hermione, who was sitting in another armchair across the room, writing furiously.  
  
"Hermione?" she said softly. Hermione looked up. She looked a little surprised to see her.  
  
"Yes?" she asked. Haylie pulled out the parchment and handed it to Hermione.  
  
"Is that yours?" she asked. Hermione studied it. "I found it lying on the floor last night in here."  
  
"No, but I recognize the handwriting," she replied. "It's one of my friends'. I'll give it to him when he wakes up." Haylie nodded and walked back to her armchair. Bored, she pulled out her wand and conjured a pencil and a pad of paper. She started drawing. When she was half way though a drawing of a hippogriff, Haylie saw Ron and Harry walk out of the boys' dorm.  
  
"Ron!" she heard Hermione call. "I have something of yours."  
  
"What?" he replied, walking over to her.  
  
"It's your Potions homework," she said, handing the parchment to Ron. "Haylie Damon found it lying on the floor. You need to more careful with your homework, you know. A house-elf could have thought it was rubbish and thrown it away."  
  
"Yah, yah," he mumbled, stuffing it in his pocket. He yawned. "Well, I'm hungry. Harry and I are going down to breakfast. Are you coming?"  
  
"Yes, just a minute while I put my homework _away_ in its _proper place_," she said obviously. Haylie saw Ron roll his eyes. She grinned. Usual Ron and Hermione behavior.  
  
Haylie, feeling her stomach growl, decided to go down to breakfast, too. She climbed out of the portrait hole and started walking toward the Great Hall.  
  
"Haylie!" a voice called from behind her. She turned around and saw Harry, Ron, and Hermione jogging up to her. It was Hermione who spoke.  
  
"Yah?" she said in her subtle voice.  
  
"Do you want to sit with us at breakfast?" Hermione asked. Haylie, taken aback by this comment, hesitated. No one had ever asked her to sit with them. They usually just ignored her, and she was used to it. Now she had a chance to make friends her age, for once in a long time.  
  
But she wasn't really sure about this. She had stayed in the shadows for a reason...  
  
_Oh, what the heck? Nothing can go wrong here,_ she thought.  
  
"Sure," she told them. Haylie followed the trio to the Great Hall, where they sat near the middle. Some people were already eating. As Haylie took a boiled egg and some bread and put it on her plate, Harry decided to strike up a conversation.  
  
"I saw the notice today," he said. "It looks like you're the new Beater."  
  
"Yah," she replied, keeping her eyes away from his. "Yah, I saw that, too. I'm pretty excited."  
  
There was an uncomfortable silence.  
  
_Alright Haylie,_ she said to herself. _You can do it...Talk about how Harry's a good Seeker, how Ron's a good Keeper, or about the World Cup...something about Quidditch! It's time to break out of your shell and make some friends, girl!  
_  
She hesitated, dealing out the pros and cons. Finally, she made up her mind.  
  
"I've seen your brothers play," she told Ron, actually making eye-contact. "I highly doubt that I can live up to their standards." She laughed a little. Ron and Harry seemed taken aback from her sudden change in social attitude. Hermione grinned, as though it was she who made Haylie crack.  
  
"Er...yah," Ron replied. "But you're really good, too, you know!"  
  
"Yah, I guess," she replied, shrugging. "Hey, I heard that they set up a joke shop. Is that true?"  
  
"Y-yes," he said, still staring at her questioningly. "They're making a lot of money off of it."  
  
"The Ministry actually let a couple of seventeen-year-olds run a business?" she said, raising an eyebrow.  
  
"Yah...well, they would have finished school by then if they didn't quit last year," Ron explained, forgetting his curiosity. Haylie grinned.  
  
"I remember that," she said. "Oh, that was so cool how they just up and left! Right in front of that idiot _Professor_ Umbridge, too."  
  
She stopped right there, realizing she was talking a little too much. Hermione saw this and quickly covered for her.  
  
"Harry, how was the...?" She cut off when Harry gave her a stern look. "The...uh...homework schedule I gave you coming along?" she finished hastily.  
  
"Fine," he replied, glancing quickly in Haylie's direction. But they didn't need to lie. She already knew about the training sessions. She knew a lot about Harry that he probably didn't want her to know. 


	5. The Tides Are Turning

Author's Note: I'm ba-ack... (evil grin) Heh heh. Anyway, I know you guys have been waiting patiently, but wait a little bit longer. I still need to give thanks to all who reviewed, and add the disclaimer. Oh, and **please tell me if you want Haylie and Harry to be paired up or not.**  
  
WildWolf15: COOKIES!!!! (gets a glass of milk)  
  
WormmonABC: Hah! My first Danny-reviewer reviews my HP fanfic! YAY! Yah, I agree. There's just too many darn Harry fanfics! LOL  
  
Ed the Peewee: Aw, thanks! I really appreciate that!  
  
Dragonfirechick: I feel so loved . Thank you! And yes, I might get Haylie and Harry paired up at the end. I'm not sure. People might think it would be Mary-Sueish  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.  
  
Now, ON WITH DA STORY!!!  
  
**_Secrets in the Shadows  
_**  
**Chapter 5: The Tides Are Turning**  
  
{{{{}}}}  
  
The next month went past without much disturbance. Haylie started to talk with Harry, Ron, and Hermione a little more as time went past. She would come over during their break while they study and ask if she could join them. They happily let her, and it became daily. The four would sit, exchange notes, talk about classes, Slytherins, and Quidditch. However, Haylie was still a bit of a loner, and would sit by herself after dinner, or would wander the grounds on the weekends.  
  
It was the Sunday before Halloween when the tides started turning.  
  
Haylie was at the edge of the lake, her feet dangling in the cool, clear water. A few yards away, some first years were playing wizard chess. Haylie watched in amusement as one of the two accused the other of cheating. The other angrily told the accuser he didn't do anything. The two argued back and forth for a while, but then came to an agreement and started playing again.  
  
Haylie laughed to herself. She thought of Ron and Hermione arguing like that almost everyday. Then, that thought suddenly made her remember what Hermione said the day before.  
  
**_"Haylie, you've been looking kind of sick lately. Are you okay?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Yah, I'm fine," she told her. "I just look that way because I bought one of Fred and George's Skiving Snack boxes." Seeing Hermione's stern look, she said, "I'm just kidding!" Ron and Harry laughed. Hermione rolled her eyes and went back to work on her essay for Care of Magical Creatures,_** 'How to Discern a Lethifold from a Dementor'**_._**  
  
Haylie sighed and lay down in the soft grass. It was getting a little colder, now that it was autumn, but she loved the cool weather. She closed her eyes, letting the rays of the sun warm her. She slowly drifted to sleep.  
  
She didn't know how long she lay there, but she woke suddenly. She opened her eyes and sat up. The first years that were playing chess were now gone. The sky was clouded and grey. A few seconds later, it started pouring.  
  
"Oh great," she mumbled. Haylie pulled out her wand. "_**Paraguas**_." The rain suddenly, instead of pounding her, fell away from her, hitting the shield she just conjured.  
  
Haylie got up and started walking towards the castle, but saw a figure out of the corner of her eye. She turned her head to see who it was. (A/N – Bet you can't guess who...)  
  
Harry was leaning against a base of a tree near the lake. He had his legs to his chest and had wrapped his arms around them. The thick foliage above him shielded him from the rain. He was looking over across the lake. He had this look of pain etched in his face. Haylie felt a pang of pity for him. She walked over to him.  
  
"Harry?" she said softly. As if being jerked out of a reverie, Harry looked up at her in surprise. "If you haven't noticed, it's raining. Hard. You should get inside."  
  
Harry just shrugged.  
  
"I'm fine," he said in a monotone. Haylie nodded, respecting his wish to be alone. She turned to leave.  
  
"Have you ever had someone close to you be killed?"  
  
Haylie stopped when Harry asked that question. She looked at him sharply, clenched her jaw, and said, "Yes. My best friend, actually. She...she was like a sister to me. I don't have any siblings. Why'd you want to know?"  
  
"I...nothing. Never mind," he said. Haylie raised her eyebrow again, and then nodded understandingly.  
  
"Oh...'Kay," she said. "Well...do you want to go back up to the castle, or do you just want to stay here for a while?"  
  
"I'll stay here," he said.  
  
"'Kay." She walked out from under the tree, conjuring the shield once again as she ran to the school to escape the rain. Dinner was in a few minutes.  
  
{{{{}}}}  
  
Harry wasn't at dinner that evening. Haylie, who was sitting with Ron and Hermione, told them that Harry wanted to be alone right now.  
  
"Did he tell you to say that?" Ron said. "Where was he?"  
  
"Just leave him," Haylie said. "He wasn't in the mood to talk when I saw him." Hermione grimly nodded.  
  
"Harry's been going through a lot lately," Hermione said. "You-Know-Who and the war and all."  
  
"I guessed that was why," Haylie said. "Poor guy. He's been through enough in his life, if you ask me."  
  
"Too true," Ron said forlornly.  
  
After dinner, they quietly walked up to their dorms. Ron went up to the boys' and Haylie and Hermione went up to the girls'.  
  
{{{{}}}}  
  
The next morning, Harry joined the other three at breakfast. Ron and Hermione, knowing was he was being so secluded lately.  
  
"Hey, we have a Quidditch game in three days. Against Slytherin," Ron said, grinning wickedly. "Knock one out for us, 'k Haylie?"  
  
Haylie grinned back.  
  
"I'll try..."  
  
Suddenly, owls came pouring into the Great Hall. A gray owl swooped down to Haylie, dropping a small purple package. Haylie's stomach dropped.  
  
The front of the package was addressed:  
  
**Natasha Haylie Damon**

**Hogwarts  
**  
"Natasha?" Harry said. "I thought your first name was Haylie."  
  
"I like that name better," she said, her teeth gritted, opening the package. Inside was a velvet box. Haylie took it out and opened it. Inside was a beautiful silver chain with a tear-drop amethyst pendant hanging from it. A tiny note that said 'Happy Early Birthday' was taped to the chain.  
  
"Oh, wow," Haylie said.  
  
"Birthday?" Hermione said.  
  
"My birthday is on the same day as the Quidditch match," she explained.  
  
"Well, more the reason to beat Slytherin, eh?" Ron said.  
  
"Yes," she said smiling. "It would be an awesome birthday present."


	6. Lethifolds and Werewolves

**Reviewers:  
  
Dragonfirechick – Yah, so Haylie isn't totally Mary-Sue, but she's close. Well, she's going to be at the end, anyway. About the Zodiac comment...I looked up different Zodiac traits and she is most like Cancer.  
  
Author's note: (Sigh) Just one review? Oh well. Anyway, I hope everyone got the hint of Haylie's first name being 'Natasha'. If not, let me explain...Haylie is a werewolf. Also, I still need more people to approve of Haylie and Harry being hooked up.  
  
Warning: This story is about to get much, much darker. Please tell me is I should bump it up to a PG-13 rating.**  
  
**_Secrets in the Shadows_**  
  
**Chapter 6: Lethifolds and Werewolves  
**  
{{{{}}}}  
  
That evening, Haylie, Ron, Hermione, and Harry did some last minute studying for a Transfiguration test the next day. They studied for about an hour, and then all except Harry decided to turn in.  
  
"You coming, Harry?" Ron asked.  
  
"Nah, I'm going to study a little bit more," Harry replied.  
  
"Alright, just don't overwork yourself," he said, climbing up the stairs to the boys' dorm.  
  
Haylie and Hermione also went up to their dorm with the rest of the girls.  
  
Haylie got changed and climbed into bed. She kept the curtains open. One of her secrets that she kept from her new friends was that she was a claustrophobic. And for a good reason...her parents used to lock her up in their tiny store room. They fixed it with a steel door so she couldn't get out. But, like they said it was for her own good.  
  
She closed her eyes, entering another fitful sleep.  
  
{{{{}}}}  
  
**_"It's all my fault," Haylie sobbed. "I killed her."  
  
That night during dinner, Haylie emerged from her room and snuck into the kitchen. From a cabinet she pulled out a large, steak knife and went back into her room.  
  
She gently laid the knife on her desk and plopped down on her bed. She was ready, but something was stopping her. Something telling her not to do it.  
  
She sat in her desk chair and stared at the knife. If she did it now, no one could stop her.  
  
She sat there for about a half-hour. Neither her mom nor her dad came in to stop her.  
  
"I might as well get it over with." She whispered, teardrops running down her cheek. She picked up the blade with a trembling hand, laying it against her throat.  
  
Suddenly, the door opened.  
  
"Haylie!" her dad cried, running over and grabbing the knife. She struggled, and in the process slicing her left cheek. Blood spilled onto her carpet.  
_**  
{{{{}}}}  
  
Haylie woke up with a start, running her fingers over the scar on her cheekbone. She took long, deep breaths, trying to calm her racing heart.  
  
She quietly got out of bed, bringing her wand with her. She went down the staircase. A muffled voice coming from a desk in the corner stopped her. Her eyes widened in horror.  
  
It looked like Harry was under a black cloak. But Harry was struggling against it, clawing at it, trying to throw it off. Haylie recognized it as a Lethifold. It was suffocating him. Suddenly, he fell limp.  
  
Haylie was frozen in terror. Finally coming to her senses, her mind frantically searched for a way to throw this creature off of one of her only friends. She cursed, not remembering the spell, even though she had just studied it the other day. Suddenly, a vision of another dark cloak floated into her mind. A low, rattling sound emitted from its mouth.  
  
"That's it!" she exclaimed, whipping out her wand.  
  
**_No, Harry will_** not **_die_**, she thought resolutely. **_He's my friend...I can't let this happen...  
  
Again...  
_**  
"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" she bellowed. A sliver, shimmering form of a wolf exploded from her wand. It grabbed the Lethifold in its jaws, ripping it off of Harry. The Lethifold flew across the room, flying out of an open window.  
  
Haylie ran over to Harry, who was motionless. He was sitting lifelessly on the armchair, his head resting on the desk. He wasn't breathing.  
  
Terrified, she shook his shoulders.  
  
"Harry! C'mon, breathe! HARRY!"  
  
His chest still didn't move. She yelled in frustration. She frantically thought of a way to get him to breathe. She lifted his upper body off the table and started to pound the space between his shoulder blades with the heel of her hand.  
  
To her great relief, Harry gasped sharply, breathing in the much needed oxygen. He groaned, standing up and holding his head.  
  
"Wha' 'appened?" he mumbled dizzily. Haylie pushed him back onto the armchair.  
  
"Sit," she commanded. "You need to relax. A Lethifold attacked you. It's gone...my Patronus chased it off."  
  
"Lethi-what?"  
  
"Remember we had a piece of homework covering Lethifolds just a few days ago?"  
  
"Oh, yah," he said. He started take short, shallow gasps. His eyes widened as he struggled to breathe.  
  
"Harry, relax!" Haylie said, alarmed. "Take deep breaths. Relax." He did as she said and his breathing soon went back to normal.  
  
"Wh-why did you come down?" Harry asked. "I mean, why'd you come down so late."  
  
"I...had a bad dream," she said. "I was just going to stay down here for a while."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Why were **_you_** down here studying so late?" Haylie asked.  
  
"I wasn't," he replied. "I just fell asleep."  
  
"You can finish your sleeping in your dorm. It's safer," she said, turning to walk back up to her own dorm.  
  
"Safer?" Harry said. "What, do you think that...that someone let that Lethifold thing in?"  
  
"Maybe," she said. "Well, I'm going to bed. Goodnight."  
  
She climbed up the staircase, Harry following her. When the staircase spit, leading to the separate dorms, Harry grabbed Haylie's arm.  
  
"What?" she asked.  
  
"I just wanted to ask how you know how to perform the Patronus charm," he said. "You weren't in the DA, so how'd you learn?"  
  
"Books..." she replied. "I've also seen some of the girls in our dorm practice it during the weekends. I perfected it over the summer. Being a 'shadow person' as I was the last 5 years, I pick up on a lot of stuff."  
  
"Ah," Harry said. Haylie nodded and started up the staircase again.  
  
"Haylie?" Haylie stopped once again.  
  
"Yah?"  
  
"Thanks. For saving my life."  
  
"No problem," she said, smiling softly.  
  
{{{{}}}}  
  
The next two days were awesome. Gryffindor beat Slytherin 210-500 points in the Quidditch match. The best parts were when Haylie knocked out the Slytherin captain, and gave Malfoy a bloody nose when he was just about to grab the Snitch, allowing Harry to capture it and win the game.  
  
One Friday, however, Haylie went through her classes with a heavy heart, dreading the night ahead.  
  
That night, just as darkness fell, Haylie told Hermione, Harry, and Ron that she needed to speak to Professor Flitwick about a certain piece of homework.  
  
She headed toward Flitwick's office until she knew the three were still in the common room and not following her. She then turned and proceeded toward the Headmaster's office.  
  
When she got to the huge stone gargoyle guarding the entrance, she said, "Mars Bars", and climbed the staircase. When she came to the oak door leading into the Headmaster's office, she knocked three times on it.  
  
Almost instantly the door opened.  
  
"Good evening, Mrs. Damon," Dumbledore said, nodding toward her as he sat behind his desk. "I was just about to leave to speak with Professor Snape about something. Your potion is sitting on the table over there." He pointed to a steaming goblet on a small wooden stand on the other side of the room.  
  
"Thank you, Professor," she said nodding.  
  
"Make yourself comfortable. I'll be back in a while," he told her, standing up and walking over to the door. He exited and closed the door behind him. Haylie sighed and picked up the goblet. She stared at it in repulsion, and then gulped it down.  
  
"That stuff's sick," she said, her face scrunching up in disgust.  
  
"Poor dear," one of the portraits said. "You're too young to be going through this type of thing."  
  
"Maybe," Haylie replied. "But I'm used to it." She sat down on the floor near the window, waiting.  
  
A few minutes later, the moon, full and bright, peaked out from behind the clouds.  
  
When it came completely visible, Haylie started to feel sharp pains all over her body. The stinging grew in to almost unbearable pain as she felt her body changing shape. She had to grit her now sharpening teeth to keep from screaming. The potion may have kept her in control of her wolf self, but it didn't dull the pain at all.  
  
When the transformation was complete, Haylie waited for the aching to subside before padding over to and lying down on some cushions in the corner. She curled up into a ball, tucking her tail under her chin. 


	7. Excuses, Excuses

**Reviewers:  
  
Dragonfirechick – (snuggles) You da best! Thank you sooooooooooo much!!!!!!  
  
Potterrulz – I'm so flattered! (snuggles potterrulz too) About the Lupin question...read on, _mein freund!_ (Don't ask. I've speaking a little in German lately, for some reason)  
  
Caitlin Cat: Lol. Yah, I love how I suddenly get an idea out of the blue and it fits perfectly! And yes, you may copy-paste the 'annoy Voldemort' list. Isn't it hilarious?! I got it off of   
  
Author's Note: To answer potterrulz's question (which I'm sure the rest of you are wondering too) concerning the Lethifold... "A Lethifold (quoting Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them) resembles a black cloak half an inch thick (thicker if it recently killed and digested a victim), which glides along the ground at night." A Lethifold, which you might have guessed, suffocates victims in their sleep. Only the Patronus charm can repel it. Also, a weird fact: The part about the Lethifold came to me in a dream the night before. Freaky, huh? Actually, it was me performing the Patronus in the dream, but putting Haylie in my place fit perfectly. Now on with SITS! (heh heh. SITS. Get it?)  
**  
**_Secrets in the Shadows  
_**  
**Chapter 7: Excuses, Excuses**  
  
{{{{}}}}  
  
"Is she asleep?"  
  
"Yes, yes! She must be. It's been two hours since she lay down."  
  
"Keep your voice down, or you'll wake her!"  
  
Various voices surrounded Haylie as she lay on the pillows in the corner. She didn't open her eyes, just listened.  
  
"...Dumbledore is worried. You-Know-Who hasn't stirred up any trouble for three months! He must be cooking up some plan with his followers, especially after he freed those Death Eaters from Azkaban..."  
  
"...And now that the Dementors have joined him, who knows what he might do?"  
  
"What if he plans to attack the school?"  
  
"Now, now Phineas, be reasonable. The grounds are too well guarded for something like that to happen."  
  
"But Albus says that there is a rumor about His followers having spies among the Aurors."  
  
"Exactly. _**Rumor**_. Not fact. Keep your hat on and stop worrying. As long as Albus is around, no one will enter the castle...nor the grounds, as a matter of fact."  
  
"Ah, but what if he _**does**_ leave? What if there's an attack somewhere else, and he must run off?"  
  
Silence.  
  
"Exactly. And, even more so, you're forgetting the Potter boy. What if he runs off? Not only has he gotten to the point in his training where he would be a great help in protecting the castle if Dumbledore leaves, as all of you have seen, what if Potter is the reason he must be off to save him for some reason?"  
  
"Yes, but Harry wouldn't go out for revenge, or to save somebody. He knows better, especially after last year's incident. And now that he practices Occlumency at a higher level, he won't have to know..."  
  
"Are you sure about that?" Phineas cut off. "Are you sure he practices every night before bed? I mean, he might think that he'll be able to see You-Know-Who's plans before He executes them."  
  
"Perhaps, but Dumbledore wouldn't let it happen..."  
  
Haylie listened in for another hour, picking up a few more discussions, including this 'Prophesy' she heard about the year before and just last month. From what she could piece together, Harry is this person You-Know- Who chose to be His 'equal' or something like that, and either He, or Harry has to die. She couldn't get the rest, mostly all she heard were bits and pieces of this 'Prophesy' thing.  
  
After a while, she tuned out the portraits' voices and slowly started to drift off to sleep.  
  
When she awoke the next morning, she was back to her normal form. She stretched her legs and picked up her wand. From what she could tell from the soft light coming from the window, it was still pretty early, perhaps six o' clock or so. It was a Saturday, so she would be fine taking her time to get to the common room.  
  
She gently opened the large door and walked out of the office, heading back to the Gryffindor common room.  
  
When she got there, she was surprised to find Hermione sitting in an armchair, fully awake, and reading a large book. Her head snapped up when the portrait hole opened.  
  
"Where were you?" Hermione demanded Haylie. Haylie just stood there with her mouth open in surprise.  
  
"I...uh..."  
  
"You said that you were just going to talk to Flitwick about some homework," Hermione said, pointing an accusing finger in Haylie's direction. "You never came back to the dorm. Where were you?"  
  
"I...um...Went to the hospital wing," Haylie quickly lied. "You know I haven't been feeling well. I just started to feel so awful after I left Flitwick's office; I decided to go straight to Madam Pomfry."  
  
"Oh," Hermione said simply, still not looking convinced. But she didn't say anything else.  
  
"Well...I'm going to go get changed and then go get some breakfast," Haylie said, finding an excuse to get out of her this uncomfortable situation. Hermione just nodded and went back to reading her book.  
  
As Haylie climbed the stairs, she thought, **_That was close. Too close. I'm not used to making up excuses to my monthly absences. Oh, well. Guess that's one of the drawbacks of having friends...  
_**  
{{{{}}}}  
  
November was pretty much the same, when the full moon came and went, Haylie found herself making up an excuse for not coming to bed that night. She realized that they would find out sooner or later. Preferably later.  
  
The good thing was, the next full moon was during winter break, when she was at her house. Snape sent her the potion the night before the full moon. It was just like it had been for five years.  
  
Harry, Ron, and Hermione all sent presents to her. Her parents, happy that she finally has some friends, encouraged her to send 'thank you' letters. She shook her head, smiling, thinking that would be a little kiddish, and said that she'll say thanks when she meets up with them in January.  
  
When Haylie did meet up with them when she came back, she gave them each an American gift. Mostly it was a September 11th memo. She knew that they weren't American, but she thought they might like something from her birth country. She gave Ron a magical American flag that waved and played the national anthem (like the ones at the Quidditch World Cup), and American football jersey, just to tease him about his dad, who she saw when she boarded the train. Haylie also gave Hermione a book about the Salem witch trials.  
  
She gave Harry a small, golden eagle with the words 'Pain nourishes courage. You can't be brave if you've only had wonderful things happen to you. - Mary Tyler Moore' inscribed on it.  
  
When Harry read the quote, he looked at her quizzically, but she just smiled gently, her grey eyes sparkling.  
  
In mid-January, a notice was set up in the Gryffindor common room, announcing a Valentine's Day dance on the 14th of February. Almost instantly, you could find boys asking girls to be their date, and vise- versa. As February grew closer, more and more students could be found blushing and breathless.  
  
A few days before the 14th, to everyone's surprise, Ron blurted out, in front of the entire Gryffindor house, asking Hermione if she wanted to go with him to the dance. The comment was followed by a roar of laughter and a very embarrassed-looking Hermione.  
  
But what shocked everyone even more was when Hermione accepted Ron's request. ("I knew they would hook up sooner or later," an amused Pavarti said later on.)  
  
Somehow, Fred and George got the whiff of the incident (**_Ginny_** was looking particularly guilty), and sent Ron a Howler, which was filled mostly with howls of laughter and taunts. Luckily, they sent it to the Gryffindor common room so Malfoy and the other Slytherins couldn't hear and torment Hermione and Ron afterwards.

* * *

Author's note: I'm sorry I couldn't get this in sooner, it was just that the doc. manager was down yesterday. Sorry!

P.S.- This has nothing to do with Harry Potter, but has anyone seen the video 'Girls Lie Too' by Terri Clark? And does anyone know if that's Johnny Depp or not?!?!


	8. Harry's Shrink

**Reviewers:  
  
Dragonfirechick – I agree...he is hot...;)  
  
Author's Note: One review again. (sigh) Oh well. You can't have everything you want in life. Oh, and since no one other then Caitlin Cat and Dragonfirechick agreed on the Harry/Haylie pairing, I'm going to with it.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Or the song that's going to appear in this chapter. It belongs to Jung Min. Whoever that is  
**  
**_Secrets in the Shadows  
_**  
**Chapter 8: Harry's Shrink  
**  
{{{{}}}}  
  
The week before the dance (which was on a Saturday, of course) was tense, especially for the boys. So many girls were brewing love potions (which are against the rules if you didn't know), that the teachers just gave up when they saw a student sneaking a vial of hot pink liquid into their crush's pumpkin juice.  
  
To Harry's dismay, a good amount of girls were eyeing him all week, and so he got into the habit of bringing a flask of pumpkin juice (like Mad-Eye) to keep them from accidentally 'slipping' some of the love potion into his goblet. Actually, a lot of the boys started doing that.  
  
Harry was lounging in the common room on Wednesday evening, looking through notes and waiting for Hermione to finish double-checking his work. Suddenly, Ron came bursting out of the boys' dorm with a mixture of amusement and anger on his face (which was quite an odd expression). He skidded to a stop in front of Harry, who was looking extremely confused.  
  
"What going on, Ron?" he asked.  
  
"Look what Fred n' George sent me!" he replied, shoving a purple envelope in his face. "I don't know how you're going to react, 'Arry, but..." Harry just took the envelope, and opened it. To his shock, it flew up into the air...and began to sing (to the theme of Hakuna Matata):  
  
**_"Avada Kedavra  
  
What a horrible phrase!  
  
Avada Kedavra  
  
You'll see a big green blaze  
  
Before you realize  
  
That's the end of your days  
  
It's Voldy's moral-free  
  
Malignity!  
  
Avada Kedavra!"  
_**  
Everyone in the room stopped what they were doing, and listened to the singing envelope. Somehow, whoever made this odd object got Ron and Harry's voice to sing it.  
  
**_"Ron: Yeah, take Harry for example. (sings) Before he was at Hogwarts!  
  
Harry: (opera style) Before I was at Hogwaaaaaarts!  
  
Ron: (pained) Lovely, Harry  
  
Harry: (spoken) Thanks  
  
Ron: His parents were nice, young Lily and James  
  
A great witch and wizard with a well-known name  
  
Harry: Then Voldemort came- Through our door he burst  
  
And he killed them, with that one atrocious curse  
  
And oh!- the pain!  
  
(Ron: Yes, he was in pain)  
  
Harry: Thought of changing my name!  
  
(Ron: Oh, what's in a name?)  
  
Harry: 'Till I went to Hogwarts...  
  
(Ron: Where did you go?)  
  
Harry: It's located in-  
  
Ron: Harry! Not in front of the muggles!  
  
(pause)  
  
Avada Kedavra  
  
What a horrible phrase!  
  
Avada Kedavra  
  
You'll see a big green blaze  
  
Before you realize  
  
That's the end of your days!  
  
It's Voldy's moral-free  
  
Malignity  
  
Avada Kedavra!!!!"  
_**  
The envelope dropped back onto Harry's lap. Most people started laughing and giggling, saying it must be a Weasley Wizard Wheezes product. Ron, still worried what Harry's reaction might be, stood nervously beside the armchair where Harry was sitting. For a moment, Harry just sat there with no expression on his face.  
  
To everyone's shock, the fireplace, which was previously empty, flashed into a huge inferno. As the flames licked the sides of the fireplace, Harry stood up, knocking over the chair violently. Tiny, yet bright flashes of green flames were flaring off the sides of his eyes and hands.  
  
"WHAT ARE YOU LAUGHING AT?" he yelled as the room went dead silent. "THERE IS NOTHING FUNNY ABOUT IT! THERE'S NOTHING FUNNY ABOUT ANYTHING! NOT ANYMORE. DON'T YOU KNOW WE'RE IN A WAR??? VOLDEMORT KILLED MY PARENTS AND THOSE IDIOTS JUST MADE FUN OF IT! DO YOU THINK IT WOULD BE FUNNY IF HE KILLED YOUR PARENTS? WOULD YOU???"  
  
Harry breathed heavily after that outburst. He glared daggers at the frightened crowd, and simply said, "Out."  
  
Everyone, including Ron and Hermione cleared out immediately. When the last terrified first year went up to his dorm, he slumped into another armchair, putting his head in his hands. He sat there for God knows how long.  
  
"That was quite an impression you made there," a soft, timid voice said.  
  
He whipped his head up, glaring at the person who interrupted his reverie. He saw it was Haylie, arms crossed tightly across her chest, a worried expression on her face.  
  
"What are you doing here?" he asked sharply.  
  
"This is the Gryffindor common room, is it not?" she snapped right back. "I have every right to be here."  
  
"What were you doing?"  
  
"Watching you."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Dunno," she shrugged. She sat on the arm of his chair. "So...what do you think everyone thinks of you now?"  
  
"What are you? A shrink?" Harry asked, glaring at her. Haylie got off of the armchair and put her hands on her hips.  
  
"No! I think you need more then a shrink, Mr. Potter," she teased. He scowled at her. Haylie sighed.  
  
"Yah, yah, I know," she said, rolling her eyes. "'There's nothing to laugh about anymore! Don't you know there's a war going on?!?!'"  
  
She sighed again.  
  
"I know how you feel, Harry..."  
  
"NO YOU DON'T!" he shouted, his anger growing again. "I'M SICK OF PEOPLE TELLING ME THAT! NOBODY KNOWS HOW I FEEL! NOBODY!"  
  
Haylie's face flushed red, her blood rising with her voice.  
  
"How do you know that? You know nothing of me! Nothing!" she spat. "You have no idea what it feels like, living in the shadows, living with the guilt that..."  
  
She suddenly cut herself off, realizing she was saying a little too much.  
  
"Never mind. I guess you don't care about anybody but yourself," she said darkly, turning to go. Harry grabbed her arm, clenching it tightly, hand shaking with anger.  
  
"That's not true," Harry growled. "Take that back."  
  
Haylie clenched her jaw, and said coldly, "Let go of me."  
  
"Take it back."  
  
"Let go of me!"  
  
"TAKE IT BACK!"  
  
"EXPELLIARUMUS!" Haylie shouted, whipping out her wand. Harry stumbled back a few feet, catching himself before he fell over. When he steadied himself, he stared at Haylie in shock. She seemed pretty surprised herself.  
  
"S-Sorry," she stuttered. "I'm sorry Harry...I-I just lost control."  
  
Before he could say anything, she turned on her heel and flew up the stairs.

* * *

**Author's note: Yah, that was pretty short, but I wanted to post, but my sister was bugging me to get off. Dammit.  
  
P.S.- School has started, but I'll try to update as often as possible. **


	9. The Dance

Author's note: I'm SOOOOOOOOOOOO sorry about the long wait! I just got caught up in another story, and school and everything. I'm sooo sooo sorry!

Reviewers:

Dragonfirechick: After I finish this chapter, I REALLY need to check my emails! Sorry! Anyway, yah. Harry's a jerk. He was a jerk when he was yelling at Hermione and Ron in the 5th book, and also when he yelled at Dumbledore. He can be such a git sometimes.

Architect04: YAY! You reviewed! (throws cookies) Thank you SO SO much!

WildWolf15: Yah, she does. But, oh well. That's how I made her, and that's who she is.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any of J.K.R works. I also don't own Enya's song, 'Only Time'.

_**Secrets in the Shadows**_

**Chapter 9: The Dance**

Haylie avoided Harry the rest of the week. She just didn't have anything to say. She felt a little guilty about this, but she just wasn't used to fighting, so she didn't know how to react. Should she let Harry apologize? Should she do it herself? Should she kind of put it aside and forget about it? Haylie was getting so tense and edgy, not being able to confine this worries to anyone.

On Friday, a package came to her. It was quite long and wide, and about four owls carried it. It was sent to her while she was in the common room after dinner. She opened it, revealing a beautiful black antique-looking dress with gold satin trim on the bottom, the sleeves and around the waist. On top of the dress was a smaller box with a note attached. She opened the note, and read it:

_**Dear Natasha,**_

_**This dress was your great-grandmother's. As you know, she was the last witch in the family, until you came along. She wore this to the balls at Hogwarts, and I'm sure she would have wanted you to wear it. It is in good shape, for your great-grandmother placed some sort of preserving charm on it. Have a wonderful Valentine's Day.**_

_**Love,**_

_**Mom and Dad**_

Haylie put aside the letter and opened the box. Seeing what was inside, she drew a sharp breath.

It was a stunning gold chocker necklace. It formed two 'U' shapes, the lowest one making the bigger 'U'.

Haylie just stared at it with her mouth gaping open. This necklace was her mother's, passed down from **_her_** mother, and so on.

Haylie beamed, closing both boxes, and hid it under the bed for tomorrow.

Harry was not exactly looking forward to the dance. Many girls had asked him to go with them, but he gently turned them down. He just didn't feel like going to the dance with anyone. He wanted to just watch, be a bystander.

Harry had been quite shaken from Wednesday night with the fight with Haylie. He pondered what she meant by 'He didn't have to live with the guilt'. Because she caught herself before she could say anything else, he had no clue why she said that. But whatever she meant, Harry did have guilt. About Sirius' and Cedric's deaths. About Ron, Hermione, and Neville's injury's. About pretty much putting everyone he cared about in danger. Yes, he did have guilt, and lots of it. What other guilt could be worse then he had ever felt?

On Saturday evening, all of the 6th and 7th year students poured out of their houses and into the Great Hall. The Hall was decorated with almost everything you could think of that had to do with love; actual cherubs flying over their head, giggling and cart wheeling; tiny bits of confetti falling from the ceiling, which had a navy blue, star-filled sky portrayed on it; and even a famous witch singer, 'Isis' (A/N: The name 'Isis' means goddess of magic).

The tables were assembled much like the Triwizard Ball, with menus the same, also.

Harry went down by himself, wearing the same green cloak that he wore at the Ball in his fourth year, yet he had it lengthened over five inches. When he got down, music had already started and a couple of students were dancing. Harry searched the crowd, looking for Ron and Hermione. He spotted them, surprisingly, dancing quite contentedly.

"Watch it, Potter," someone spat as they bumped into him forcefully. It was, of course, Draco Malfoy.

"You watch it," Harry snapped back.

"Great comeback, Potter," Pansy Perkinson (A/N: Sp?) sneered. Harry rolled his eyes, walking toward a table. He sat down and watched Ron and Hermione dance without Ron stepping on her feet once, which was quite a miracle.

To his relief, Ron and Hermione came over to him after the song, red-faced and breathless from dancing.

"Harry! We thought you weren't coming," Ron said.

"Oh, I just couldn't miss this," Harry said, jabbing his thumb toward some couples a few seats away from him, who were staring googly-eyed at each other. The three laughed.

"Hey, have you seen Haylie anywhere?" Hermione asked. "She said she'd be coming down after all the girls left from our dorm."

"Nope," Harry said.

"Oh, well," Ron said shrugging. "She'll come down sooner or later." He nudged Hermione. "What to go dance again?" Hermione smiled.

"Of course."

The new couple walked back onto the dance floor, hand in hand. Harry shook his head, smiling. Once again, he watched all the other couples dance, trip, and even kiss. He then let his eyes wander over the whole room. He spotted McGonagall laughing and chatting with Professor Sprout, and Hagrid drinking goblet after goblet with what seemed to be wine.

Only a few people were coming in now, since the dance had been going on for a while. A pretty girl in a long black dress caught his eye. To his amazement, it was Haylie. But it wasn't the Haylie he knew. This Haylie looked stunning. Her hair fell to her shoulders, framing her face with black wisps and waves. The only make-up she had on was black lip-stick, which, instead of making her look freaky, made her look even more mysterious then she already was. But something else caught his eye. Her scar was gone.

Harry got up and walked over to her.

"Hey, Haylie," Harry said, a little shakily, tapping her on the shoulder. Haylie turned around. Seeing who it was, her eyes widened, and she suddenly looked extremely uncomfortable.

"Oh...uh...hey...hey, Harry," she stuttered, staring at the floor.

"Yah...er..." He paused for a minute. "Do you w-want to dance?" Haylie stared at him in surprise.

"Wha-? Really?" she said, looking up at him. Suddenly, she grinned. "Are you just asking me because I look pretty?"

Taken aback by this bold question, he was frozen for a second, staring at her. Haylie shook her head.

"Never mind," she said. "And, um, yes, I'll dance with you." She took his arm, leading him gently to the dance floor, where Isis was stricking up a new melody.

"_**Who can say where the road goes,  
Where the day flows?  
Only time...  
  
And who can say if your love grows,  
As your heart chose?  
Only time..."**_

Harry clumsily put his hand on the small of Haylie's back.

"I'm not good at this," he mumbled, his face turning red.

"That's okay," Haylie replied, shaking her head a little. "Neither am I. I've never danced before, actually. Well...at least not like this..." She laughed slightly as she placed her hand on Harry's shoulder, and putting the other in his hand.

"**_Who can say why your heart sighs,  
As your love flies?  
Only time...  
  
And who can say why your heart cries,  
When your love dies?  
Only time...  
  
Who can say when the roads meet,  
That love might be,  
In your heart."_**

"Uh, Haylie?" Harry said, approaching the subject slowly.

"What?"

"What...What happened to your scar?" he asked.

"Oh. Just this certain cover-up stuff," she explained. "It's really expensive, so I don't use it much."

"Oh..."

"**_And who can say when the day sleeps,  
The moon still keeps on moving  
If the night keeps all your heart?  
Night keeps all your heart...  
  
Who can say if your love grows,  
As your heart chose?  
Only time..."_**

Haylie, nervously and cautiously, rested her head on Harry's shoulder, leaning closer to him. He could feel her heart racing against his chest, comparing to his own. At first, he tensed, not used for a girl being this close to him, but he soon relaxed. Harry caught the glance of Ron, who winked at him.**_  
  
And who can say where the road goes,  
Where the day flows?  
Only time...  
  
Who knows?  
Only time...  
  
Who knows?  
Only time..."_**

The music faded and ended. Haylie and Harry slowly broke apart. They were silent for a minute, resisting eye contact. Then Haylie spoke.

"Uh...th-thanks for the dance," she said softly.

"No problem," he said, shrugging.

"Do you want to go sit down?" Haylie offered.

"S-Sure," he said. He followed her to the tables. They sat across from each other, nervously studying the menu, yet not really reading at it. Thankfully, Hermione and Ron walked over, breaking the silence.

"Great song, wasn't it?" Ron said, winking again at Harry. Hermione elbowed him, giving him a 'Don't-talk-about-it' look. Ron obeyed, sitting next to Harry as Hermione took a seat next to Haylie. Ron struck up a conversation about Quidditch, while Hermione talked to Haylie about their classes.

But every once in a while, the two nervous sixteen-year-olds gave each other edgy side glances.

Author's note: YAY FOR ROMANCE!!!!


	10. Good News, My Lord

Author's note: Hm...What can I say? Nothing. Nothing to say here.

Reviewers:

Dragonfirechick: SQEEE! You reviewed the first day! I'm so hoppy! Heh heh. Yah, Harry is silly. But he's still cute (snuggles Harry plushy). Oh, and have you seen 'League of Extraordinary Gentlemen'? If you have, I'm making another fanfic about it on my alter-ego 'Eowyn41'. Got it? Good.

_**Secrets in the Shadows**_

**Chapter 10: "Good News, My Lord"**

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"Hey, Ron, Pavarti and Seamus are sitting over there," Hermione pointed out after the four chatted for a while. "Do you want to go over and talk to them for a bit?" She let her eyes dart obviously toward Harry and Haylie. Ron got the point.

"Uh, yeh," Ron said, standing up. "Yeh, sure. See you later, mates."

The two walked away, grinning.

"What was that about?" Haylie asked.

"No idea," Harry shrugged. The two sat in silence for a minute. Then they looked at each other at the same time, but Harry spoke first.

"I-I like your dress," he said, trying to sound casual.

"Oh...uh...thanks," she shrugged. "It was my great-grandmother's. She was the last witch in the family until I came along."

"What?" Harry asked, confused.

"It's a little complicated, but you'll understand. You see, my great-grandmother was a witch, but for some reason, all of her descendants were Squibs," Haylie explained. "Except for me. Oh, and I have a second cousin in the U.S. that's a wizard, but other then that, I'm the only witch in the family.

"Oh," Harry said.

"It gets really confusing in my house sometimes," she went on. "Since my parents know nothing of magic, I can't really ask them to help with homework or anything..." She stopped, looking embarrassed. "Uh, I'm babbling, aren't I?"

"Just a little."

"Well, well, well, Potter. Finally found yourself a girl?"

Harry could actually hear the sneer that curled Malfoy's lips. He whipped around.

"How many times do I have to tell you in one semester, Malfoy?" Harry snarled. "Buzz off."

"Ooooh, getting touchy, are we, Potty?" Malfoy snickered. "So protective of your girlfriend..."

"She is not my girlfriend!" Harry said defensively.

"Oh really," he replied mockingly. "Why don't we ask Damon if **_she_** likes **_you_**?" He leaned over to her, staring daggers at Haylie. "So, do you Haylie?"

Now, let me tell you, Haylie gets easily intimidated, and Malfoy is the person that intimidates her the most.

"I...like him," she said shakily. "But...just as a friend..."

"You hear that?" Malfoy said to Crabbe and Goyle, who were behind him, laughing maliciously. "Just a friend? I don't think so..."

He walked away, his two flunkies following.

"I **_really_** don't like him," Haylie said, jabbing her thumb at Malfoy.

"Join the club," Harry muttered.

"I'm sure there is one," Haylie replied, wrinkling her nose in disgust. "He's just so loathsome." Harry laughed.

"I'm with you a hundred percent on that."

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Easter was hectic. Exams were coming up in a few months, and Hermione was as busy as ever, making schedules, as she did every year, and trying to fit her study time with Harry's and Ron's.

The two boys were struggling in Transformation and Potions, so Haylie, though not as good at the subjects as Hermione, tried to take the load off her back and help Ron and Harry with their studies.

Harry was getting even more tired after his training sessions with Dumbledore every Saturday night (A/N: He got the night off on Valentine's Day), and was struggling to keep up with his studies.

Haylie, who had to go through another full moon just weeks before, was lucky that no one caught her going to and from Dumbledore's office that night. But Hermione was starting to notice, though she still couldn't explain Haylie's tiredness and sometimes weakness every month. How ever, to through her off her scent, Haylie pretended to have the symptoms when she was feeling fine, so Hermione didn't get too suspicious.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

A knock came at the door.

"Come in," a cold, bone chilling voice came from an armchair behind the desk. The door opened slightly. It revealed a short, twitchy man that resembled a rat.

"M-Master? M-Malfoy is here..." the man said in a squeaky voice. "H-He said he has important news..."

"Then show him in, Wormtail," the voice said impatiently. "I don't have all day."

Wormtail bowed hastily, and walked out of the room. A few seconds later, Draco's father entered the room.

"My Lord," Malfoy said, bowing. "I have urgent news."

"It better be good," the voice said. "Lord Voldemort doesn't like bearers of bad news."

"It is my Lord, I assure you," he replied, a slight hint of fear in his eyes. "As you know, my son, Draco, has been spying in Hogwarts..."

"Yes, yes," Voldemort said impatiently. "I'm well aware of that."

"Well, during the Valentine's dance, Draco spotted Potter and Haylie dancing together. It seems that our Miss Damon has a fancy for Potter..."

Silence.

"This is perfect!" Voldemort exclaimed, standing up abruptly from his chair.

"It-It is, my Lord?"

"Don't you see, Malfoy?" Voldemort said in a low voice, his red eyes glinting nastily. "It is the perfect plan. We can kill two birds with one stone. Miss Damon has information that can be valuable to the cause. She can also be the end of Harry Potter."

"My Lord?" Malfoy questioned.

"Malfoy, when is the next full moon?" Voldemort said sharply.

"In three weeks, I believe," Malfoy said. "But what has this to do with...?"

"_**Crucio!"**_

A red flare shot out of Voldemort's wand, hitting Lucius Malfoy square in the chest. As Malfoy twitched and squirmed on the floor, Voldemort walked over and towered over him.

"Listen closely, Malfoy, and get it through your thick skull," he hissed. "Haylie Damon is a werewolf. She will be perfect as bait and a weapon. We will lure Harry to her on the night of the full moon. She will not have had her potion that night, so she will be extremely dangerous. Werewolves are almost impervious to magic, and I am sure she will kill him. And **_that_** will be the end of Harry Potter."

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Author's note: The suspense! THE SUSPENCE!!! lol


	11. Kidnapping

**Author's note: I'm baaack! Sorry for da long wait, guys! I've been working on another story on my other s/n.**

**Reviewers: **

**Dragonfirechick: Eep! I forgot to add the part where the news says that Voldie's supporters got loose! My bad! BIG TYPO!!! EEEK!!! **

**Architect04: (gobbles up energy cookies) Sugar...high...starting... (TWITCH)...MUST...WRITE!!!!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing! NOTHING I SAY!!!! Well...except for Haylie. Duh.**

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Lucius got shakily to his feet.

"But...but isn't Potter stronger now? I'm sure after...after last year, Dumbledore would train him," he said.

"Yes, but he wouldn't try to hurt his girlfriend, would he?"

(A/N: Yeah, I know that was a short little segment there, but oh well)

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Two weeks passed after Lucius' meeting with the Dark Lord. The Hogsmead trip was in a day. Haylie and Harry were still a little awkward around each other, but they were on good terms.

Hermione and Ron, however, were an official couple. Not even Malfoy could break them up with his malicious comments.

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"RON! HURRY UP!" Hermione yelled up to the boys' dorm room.

"I'm coming! Pig just delivered a letter from Bill," Ron said, running down the staircase. Haylie and Harry smiled at each other. Even though Ron was her boyfriend, Hermione was still as bossy as ever to him.

The four then walked outside where everyone (3rd years and up) crowed, impatient to get to Hogsmead. After McGonagall did a head count, the group swarmed to Hogsmead.

Harry, Haylie, Ron, and Hermione first went to the Shrieking Shack, as always. However, Harry was looking reluctant to go, even though he tried to hide it. He couldn't help but think of the night he first met Sirius. The other three, realizing this a little too late, decided to leave only a minute after they arrived.

"Hey, Harry, want to go to Zonko's?" Ron asked. Harry seemed a little relieved.

"Sure," he replied. "Maybe they have some of Fred and George's stuff there." The two buds walked off down the street, leaving Hermione and Haylie at the Shack.

"That was nice of them," Hermione said sarcastically. Haylie laughed...then stopped in mid-giggle. A strange, yet wonderful sensation washed over her.

"Hermione...can I meet up with you later?" she said in an oddly stupefied voice. "I want to be alone right now."

"Are you sure?" Hermione asked, a little confused.

"Yes. I'll meet you at Madam Rosmerta's in an hour," she replied simply. Hermione just nodded and walked off, eyeing Haylie over her shoulder.

When Hermione was out of sight, Haylie snapped out of her daze. She felt a little lighted headed, so she sat down on the grass.

"Whoa...what just hap..."

"**_Stupify!" _**

Just before Haylie lost consciousness, she saw a tall man wearing a cloak and a black mask that was hiding his face.

Then...blackness.

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Haylie's head hurt when she awoke. For some reason, she felt extremely weak, and she couldn't move. She was strapped to something. Afraid of where she might be, she resisted to open her eyes. She heard a door near to her open, and then close.

"Lock the door," an undeniably evil voice commanded. She heard footfalls coming toward her. Her stomach clenched in panic.

"Open your eyes, girl," the same voice hissed. Something forced Haylie to open her eyes. When she did, she was horrified by the face that appeared no more then two feet away from her. It was chalky white and had red snake-like eyes. That face scared her out of her wits.

"Who-who are you?" Haylie finally choked out. "What am I doing here?" The man...no, it was to evil to be a man...the **_creature_** laughed cruelly.

"I, my dear, am Lord Voldemort," the Dark Lord said. "The greatest wizard of all time..."

Haylie's spirits lightened a bit when she heard the arrogant remark, but were downcast at Voldemort's next words.

"**_You_** are here to service **_me_**. To provide**_ me_** with information," he said, leaning over to her.

"I know nothing," she replied.

"Ah, but other sources tell me otherwise," he said nastily. "You hear the portraits in Dumbledore's office, do you not?"

Haylie then understood what he was talking about. If he knew that, he knew everything about her. Including her... 'condition'. She was rattled by this sudden news, unsure how to handle it.

"Do you by any chance," Voldemort asked. "Know anything about a certain prophesy?" Haylie, remembering what the portraits had said about last year, how the Dark Lord tried to steal it, kept silent.

"Answer me, girl!" he yelled, his red eyes flashing.

"I know nothing," Haylie said simply, although she was trembling. Voldemort suddenly pulled out a small vial with clear liquid in it. Recognizing it as Veritaserum, Haylie's heart quickened painfully.

"Ah, so you recognize this," Voldemort said, seemingly pleased. He popped it open. "As you can tell, Miss Damon, I have my ways of...persuasion."

He then forced her to drink it, using the Imperius Curse. Haylie felt a strong, burning sensation as it went down her throat.

"Now, tell me...do you know about the prophesy?" he asked, his face undoubtedly eager.

"Yes," Haylie said in monotone.

"What did it say?" Voldemort said impatiently. Haylie struggled with all her might not to tell the truth. She then smiled.

"I don't want to tell you," she said triumphantly. Voldemort looked dumb-struck.

"It is the truth," she said, beaming. "Don't you just love loopholes?"

"**_Crucio!"_** Voldemort bellowed angrily. A searing pain coursed through her veins. She let out a blood-curdling scream, begging the Dark Lord to stop the torture.

But he just did it again and again, torturing her until she was knocked unconscious.

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"Hey, have you guys seen Haylie?" Hermione asked Ron and Harry when she met up with them at Madam Rosmerta's for a butterbeer. "She was supposed to meet us here fifteen minutes ago."

"No, not after we left you two at the Shrieking Shack," Ron said.

"Why don't we go by there and see if she is still there," Harry suggested. "We need to get back to the castle in half an hour."

So the three marched up the hill to the Shrieking Shack. Oddly, no one was there.

"Maybe she left to go somewhere else," Ron said.

"R-Ron...H-Harry..." Hermione said shakily near the fence that blocked anyone from trespassing.

"What is it 'Mione?" Harry asked, jogging over to her, Ron not far behind.

"Look..." she said, pointing to a piece of paper nailed to the fence.

**_HAYLIE DAMON HAS BEEN SENT TO THE DARK LORD. DO NOT BOTHER LOOKING FOR HER, FOR SHE SHALL NOT BE SEEN AGAIN._**

"We need to go see Dumbledore!" Harry yelled. "C'mon!"

The three then ran desperately to the castle.

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"Professor! Haylie's been kidnapped!" Harry blurted out when he caught sight of McGonagall.

"What?" she replied, shocked. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," he said, holding out the note.

"Oh my," she murmured. "Come. This must be reported to the Headmaster at once!"

The led the worried teens to the Dumbledore's office. After she knocked loudly on the large oak door, Dumbledore opened.

"What seems to be the problem, Professor?" Dumbledore asked.

"Albus...one of our students has been kidnapped. Haylie Damon."

Dumbledore was silent. Either from shock or he was thinking.

"Yes...yes, I do understand," he muttered, walking over to his desk.

"What is there to understand?" Harry blurted out suddenly. "Why did Voldemort take her?"

"Harry, there are some things best left unknown..."

"OH YEAH? LIKE THE PROPHESY?" Harry yelled.

"What 'prophesy'?" Hermione asked. Harry stiffed, realizing his mistake. Hermione and Ron were never told about the prophesy.

"Never mind," he told them. "The point is, we've got to get her back."

"You are not going anywhere, Potter, if that's what you are thinking," McGonagall said sternly.

"Yes, I am," Harry said stiffly. "I'm not going to let my friend die...or whatever Voldemort tries to do to her."

"He can go, Minerva," Dumbledore said.

"Albus..."

"He will go," Dumbledore said, signaling the end of the conversation. "Now, I need to send some owls. Harry..." He gave a stern glance toward the stubborn boy. "Harry, you are to stay in your dorm until I send for you."

"What about us?" Ron asked, motioning to Hermione and himself. "We're coming too."

"Oh no you're not," Harry said. "You're not coming just to get hurt like last time."

Both Ron and Hermione scowled at him.

"Alright you three, off to your common room," McGonagall said, shooing them out the door.

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Author's Note: I know what you guys are thinking...WAAHH!!! WRITE MORE!!! Well, I'll try. I have soccer practice tomorrow, and the next chapter isn't going to be as long as this one. PEACE 


	12. Rescue

**Reviewers:**

**Dragonfirechick: Yes, the Imperious curse is indeed evil. LOL**

**Architect04: (rolling over laughing) Oh...my...GOD! I never thought of that! EAT IT!!! (laughs hysterically) **

**WildWolf15: Thank you for the grammar comment. Yes, I agree that Haylie has become more MS. But, I promise you, I have everything under control. I made Haylie a werewolf for flaws, I assure you. I added her killing off her friend for both flaw and angst, however. I hope that doesn't make her a full-fledged Mary-Sue, right? Anyway, all of Haylie's past will be explained in later chapters, alright? Oh, one more thing...Harry isn't falling in love with her. I swear he isn't. Yes, there was some chemistry during the dance and afterwards, but Harry isn't falling head-over-heels in love. Just trust me on this, okay? **

_**Secrets in the Shadows**_

**Chapter 12: Rescue**

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Haylie was locked up in the dungeon for three days; each was as torturous as the last, as Voldemort came to 'interrogate' her. The last day was the one when the Dark Lord ruined her life.

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"Natasha..." the cold, merciless voice said as he entered the room and stood in front of her. Haylie's aching head rose to meet his eyes. Although the Death Eaters brought her one meal everyday, she began to thin worst then ever, seeing that the full moon was approaching in two days.

As her dead-looking, empty eyes met Voldemort's, he smirked cruelly.

"How long are you going to wait until I die?" she said, her voice cracking.

"Oh, Miss Damon, you may not give me the information I need..." He took her chin in his white, spidery hand. "But you are much too valuable to get rid of...yet."

"What are you talking about?" she asked dryly, wrenching her chin from his cold grasp. "What else do you want?"

"The death of Harry Potter," Voldemort hissed. Haylie just stared, shocked.

"Why do you need me, then?" she said cautiously. "What, as bait or something?"

"Very close, my dear, very close," he said, slightly amused. "But, Americans know everything, am I right?"

Haylie didn't waste her energy to glare at him.

"Then why do you need me?" she asked.

"You, Miss Natasha, are the perfect weapon." Seeing Haylie's confused stare, he continued.

"In two days, the full moon appears, am I right?" Haylie said nothing. "Well, I'm arranging it so that Mr. Potter may see you in your**_ true_** form..."

Like a blow to the face, Haylie realized what was going on.

"No...no, you **_can't_**," she begged. "No, please don't..."

"Oh, I will, Miss Damon, I will," he said triumphantly, backing away to leave.

"NO! I can't...not again! **_Not again!_**" she screamed after him, tears running down her face. "Please, you don't understand! I can't! **_NOT AGAIN!_**"

But Voldemort ignored her, only stopping to say a few words to one of the dementors guarding the door. The dementor nodded slowly, and the Dark Lord left.

Haylie's heart was pounding. Flashes of that horrible night seven years ago ran through her mind, as it did every time the dementors entered the room. But now this time it was more vivid, more sickening. Now she will have to relive it once again.

Seconds later, the door opened again. Two dementor swept silently across the room toward Haylie. The restraints holding her vanished, and she fell in a heap onto the floor. She felt the dementor's clammy hands hoist her onto her feet and drag her out of the prison room. She frantically looked around, wondering where they were taking her. They ascended a few stairs until they came to an open doorway that seemingly opened into a large room. The dementors pushed her forcefully through it, letting her land painfully on her knees. She heard an unfamiliar voice say "Cast the spell", and instantly saw the doorway flash white. The light subsided, but nothing seemed to be different about the door.

The same voice filled the room once again, saying, "Don't try to escape, Miss Damon. The doorway doesn't seem as open as it seems..." The person laughed, and then appeared to leave.

Haylie surveyed her new prison. It was huge, and had a vast, glass, dome ceiling. The sun shone brightly through the glass. But Haylie knew better...the moon wound be in full view. The person was right. There was no escape.

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_**Hogwarts **_

"Where could she be?" Harry said, angrily pacing in the common room. "It's been six days! They must have found something out by now!"

"Harry, get a hold of yourself!" Ron said. "I'm sure Dumbledore is doing the best he can..."

"OH YEAH? WELL MAYBE HE SHOULD TRY HARDER!" Harry yelled for the tenth time that week. Harry regained his composure, looking embarrassed.

"I'm sorry, guys. I'm just...How could this happen?" he asked to no one in particular. Then something hit him. He froze.

"'**_She knows too much...'_**" he mumbled. "That's it!"

"What's 'it'?" Hermione asked, startled. (A/N: Kudos to anyone who instantly remembered that!)

"Remember in the beginning of the year, when we were on the train?" he asked, looking excited.

"Er...no. But since it seems important...sure!" Ron said.

"Ron, remember I told you about that dream that I had with Voldemort saying **_'She knows too much. She'll be a significant aid to find a way to kill Potter...'_**?"

"Now that I think about it...no. Still not ringing a bell," Ron said.

"'She knows too much'..." Hermione said thoughtfully. "What might she be talking about?"

"I think I know," Harry said a little cautiously. "But you don't need to know. It's better that you don't know."

"Harry..."

"No, Hermione," Harry said firmly. Just then, the common room door opened. The person that came through was Professor McGonagall.

"Mr. Potter..." she said. Harry stood up instantly. "You are to come with me."

Harry turned to Ron and Hermione with a mournful look in his eye.

"I'm going," he said. "Good-bye."

"Harry...you...you're coming back, right?" Hermione said, her voice wavering. But Harry said nothing more. He just turned and followed the Professor out the common room door without a backwards glance.

When the two reached Dumbledore's office, they heard multiple voices coming from inside. Professor McGonagall knocked on the door three times. The voices were silenced.

"Come in," Harry heard the Headmaster say. McGonagall opened the huge oak door. As the two entered, Harry recognized many of the faces of the people crowded in the room, which were about ten people from the Order, including Tonks, Mad-Eye, and Kingsley Shacklebolt. As Harry's eyes wandered over the crowd, he found that one face he was expecting to be there, Lupin's, wasn't. He then remembered that the full moon was coming out that night, so it was a little disappointing.

"Harry," Dumbledore said suddenly. "We know where Miss Damon is. We are going to order a rescue to be sent out tonight." Harry just nodded. "Mad-Eye, Tonks, and Mr. Diggle here have volunteered to escort you by broom to the place where your friend is being held. The rest will Apperate." Harry nodded again.

"Alright," Dumbledore said, almost cheerfully. "Since we have that cleared up..." He Dissapperated. Getting the message, the rest of the rescuers (except the three that were escorting Harry) Dissapperated also.

"Wotcher Harry," Tonks said, smiling. "Well, let's get to it. Dumbledore already brought your broom up here..." She pointed to four brooms in the corner that included Harry's prized Firebolt.

The four mounted the brooms (Diggle with some difficulty) and took off out of the open window.

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It was nightfall when the small group finally landed on an open field near an abandoned farmhouse. The rest of the group was waiting patiently a few hundred meters away.

"Now, keep quiet," Mad-Eye hissed. "Some of the Death Eaters might be waiting for us..."

"Chill out Mad-Eye," Tonks said in a low voice, rolling her eyes.

"Well...if you want to be killed, that's not my problem," Mad-Eye growled.

"Alastor, if you don't mind, we will begin the break-in," Dumbledore said. He turned to Harry.

"When we get inside, I want you and Miss Tonks to try to find Haylie," he said. "I trust you can handle it by yourselves."

"Yes sir," Harry muttered, though generally happy that the Headmaster finally trusted him.

The group silently crept toward the house. Dumbledore was first to open the door, his wand at ready.

As soon as the old, rotten door opened, the entire rescue group pointed their wands inside the farmhouse. When nothing happened, they all piled warily inside.

To Harry's surprise, the inside of the farmhouse didn't look like, well, the inside of a farmhouse! It had a huge stone room with two staircases leading downstairs in opposite directions. Dumbledore turned to the group, which was already waiting for his orders.

"We are going to split up," he said. "Harry, Tonks, Mad-Eye, Newton..."

Just then, a red jet of light shot over their heads. About twenty Death Eaters swarmed from the right staircase, wands pointed at the group, sending curses in every direction. The rescue group did the same, sending many of the Death Eaters on their backs, unconscious.

"Tonks!" Mad-Eye said, while sending a blue curse toward the group of Death Eaters. "Get Harry away from here!"

Tonks looked like she was about to protest, but rolled her eyes and took Harry's arm, dragging him down the left staircase, the one staircase that Death Eaters weren't coming out of.

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**Author's Note: If you looked into the Mirror of Erised, what would you see?**


	13. Deliverance

**Reviewers:**

**Dragonfirechick: Funny, ain't 'it'? IT! SQEEE!!! I love Monty Python and the Holy Grail! I have it on DVD. It is stupid, yet HALARIOUS! **

**Architect04: Yes, reviewing buddy. You are a very funny person. You make many people laugh. **

**NowâON WITH THE THRILLING STORY!**

_**Secrets in the Shadows **_

**Chapter 13: Deliverance **

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**WARNING: Contents in this chapter include deep Christian beliefs. I do not want to create controversy, so please put into perspective that I am Christian, and this is my story.**

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As Tonks and Harry fled down the staircase, Harry felt uneasy that it was empty. Wouldn't there be Death Eaters coming up to help their colleagues?

After about a minute, the two slowed down to a walk. They seemed to be in some sort of dungeon. The end of the hall split into two corridors, one going down, the other going up.

"Soâwhich way do we go?" Tonks said in a low voice.

"They probably locked her up in one of the dungeons," Harry replied, pointing to the stairway on the left, the one that was going down.

"Good thinking" Tonks said, heading toward the staircase. Just then, a Death Eater appeared seemingly out of nowhere, yet he cast aside a silver cloak. An Invisibility Cloak. He was pointing his wand at Tonks.

"Stay where you are," the man sneered. "The Dark Lord will want to see you both"

"**_Paralius!"_** Harry said, sending a bright yellow curse at the Death Eater. The man's eyes suddenly went blank. He dropped his wand, completely oblivious to the situation. He just stood there, as if in a trance.

"Nice. The Stupor Curse," Tonks said admiringly. "Dumbledore must have been teaching you a lot. That's a pretty advanced curse. Well, we should get going, now, shouldn't we?"

"Hold on, Tonks," Harry said. "I'm not done with him just yet"

Harry stood directly in front of the man, mumbling something, yet keeping direct eye contact with him. Harry was silent for about five seconds. He then turned to Tonks.

"Haylie isn't in the dungeons, she's up the other staircase," he said. Tonks' jaw dropped.

"You didn't justâ? You canâyou mastered Legilimens?" Tonks blurted out.

"Yes. And it was a hell of a lot of work, too," Harry said, walking toward the right staircase, ascending it. Tonks followed, yet still staring disbelievingly at him.

After they were gone from sight, another Death Eater appeared and resurrected the other. When he came too, he smiled.

"It is all going to plan," he said, a menacing tone in his voice.

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When the two came to the end of the staircase, Harry paused for a minute, and then turned to the right. His heart was pounding, both dreadingly and hopefully.

"Slow down, Harry!" Tonks said. But he already did. He stopped right beside an open doorway. Tonks saw in his eyes that Haylie was in there.

"I'll go in first," Harry whispered. Wand out, he slowly turned the corner, a curse perched on his lips. He froze. A figure, curled up on the other side of the huge room stirred. It was Haylie. But when she saw him, she wasn't exactly happy. She looked terrified.

"Harry! No, get out of here! It's a trap! GET OUT!" she said. Harry turned to the doorway, but it was too late. A huge metal door barred the way. He could hear Tonks yelling, "Harry? Harry, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Harry shouted back through the door. "There are no Death Eaters in here."

"Alright," Tonks replied. "I'm going for help."

"Be careful!" Harry said. He then turned and walked over to Haylie.

"Are you okay? Have they hurt you at all?" he asked, concerned, seeing her thin and pale face. He reached out his hand to help her up.

"Don't get near me, Harry!" Haylie yelled, making Harry back off. "Can't you see you can't be rescued? You know why the Dark Lord captured me? TO KILL YOU!"

Harry stared at his distressed friend.

"Howâ?"

"I'M A WEREWOLF, HARRY!" she yelled again, tears streaming down her face. "Tonight's a full moon" She pointed to the glass ceiling. "And it's almost midnight"

Harry backed away farther.

"Youâyou're a werewolf?" Harry asked weakly. "Well, that explains why you're disappearing every month"

"It's not funny, Harry," Haylie said, putting her head in her hands. "I don't want to kill youâI couldn't take itâoh, no."

Her head shot up to the ceiling. Clouds that covered the full moon had shifted. Harry had a horrible feeling of deja vu. Haylie started to shake, while her eyes widened in terror. Harry backed off toward the opposite wall.

"Noâno no no!" she said as she watched her nails lengthen. A red light engulfed her. Harry could hear her blood-chilling screams. The light cleared. Where Haylie once sat, there stood a huge black werewolf, its teeth gleaming in the moonlight.

"Haylie" Harry breathed, his heart pounding painfully. The werewolf growled menacingly, starting toward him. About twenty meters away, it crouched down in a catlike way, about to attack. Panicking, Harry sent a Stunning spell in the monster's direction. The spell hit it, but didn't seem to hurt it at all. It just made it angrier.

The werewolf pounced, but Harry ran the opposite direction, his Quidditch reflexes allowing him to dodge it. The werewolf quickly recovered and raced toward Harry once more. Harry sent another, more powerful curse in its direction. This time, it was effective. The werewolf howled angrily, twisting in pain. But it only lasted a few seconds.

The werewolf wasn't about to give up. It was hungry. Hungry for human blood.

The werewolf gathered itself up and readied itself for another attack. Harry was on his toes, also ready for the attack.

"I wouldn't miss this for the world," Harry heard a familiar cold voice say. It echoed throughout the room, so Harry didn't know where it was coming from.

"Voldemort!" Harry called angrily. Just as he said this, Haylie attacked again. Harry dodged easily.

"Having fun, I see, eh, Harry?" Voldemort's voice said.

"Yeah, it's just a party down here," Harry said sarcastically, though keeping his eyes on the werewolf. "You just had to make someone else do your dirty work"

"Very right, Potter," Voldemort said, sounding amused. Harry rolled his eyes. The werewolf took this opportunity to assail. But this time Harry wasn't quick enough.

Haylie, or what Haylie had become, slammed Harry into the wall. Harry felt some of hit ribs crack sickeningly. He felt dazed, and his wand was to far from him.

"Haylie," he protested weakly as the werewolf approached him, its teeth bared eagerly. "Pleaseâdon't"

"It's no use, Harry," Voldemort said. "She can't hear you. And even if she can, she can't do anything about it. Good-bye, Harry Potter."

But little did he know that Haylie, once again trapped inside the beast, was fighting with all her might to break free of the curse.

**_NO! Please don't! Someone, help me! I've got to stop! No!_** she screamed inside her head. Then, she did something she never done before. She prayed.

**_Lord, help me! I can't kill him! God, don't let me do this again. Please, God! HELP ME!_**

Harry, to his surprise, saw the werewolf freeze. Its yellow eyes turned back to grey. A white glow appeared to surround the werewolf

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Haylie felt a warm sensation engulfing her. It was the most wonderful feeling in the world. She finally felt at peace. The white glow that surrounded her loved her. She knew that now.

She saw the glow subside. Just as she lost consciousness, she said, "Thank you, God." Then darkness overcame her.

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**Author's note: If you want to see what Haylie looks like as a werewolf, look at the bottom of my profile. Oh, and to answer my own question from the last chapter; If I looked into the Mirror of Erised, I would see me as a famous author and singer/actress. **


	14. The Last Chapter

**Reviewers: **

**Dragonfirechick: I have that movie!!!! "You're mother was a hamster, and your father smelled of elderberries!" (rolls off chair laughing) Anyway, I have no idea how I made those weird signs. All I was doing was making those three dots. You know, to make like you're trailing off...? I'm going to see if it'll do it again.**

**Architect04: (rolls over laughing again) You. Crack. Me. Up.**

**Author's note: I'm so so so so so so so sorry I'm so late with this update! It's all Ivan's fault! I live VERY near to where you see all the reports in Florida. Anyway, I'm home now and thank GOD that our home as little damage. The people across our street, however, had major flooding and had a BIG boat get washed up onto their yard! (there's a river behind their house)**

_**Secrets in the Shadows**_

**Chapter 14: The Last Chapter**

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Haylie's eyes swam as she opened them, but when they cleared she saw that she was in the hospital wing. The sun was shining brightly through the window, so she guessed it was about noon. At first she didn't remember anything that would tell her why she was there. But in a few seconds, all the memories of the night before came flooding back to her. And with a jolt of her stomach, she remembered the battle between Harry Potter and herself. Well, not **_exactly_** herself.

"I killed him," she said in a barely audible voice, sitting up suddenly. She then felt hot tears prickling at the sides of her grey eyes. She put her face in her hands.

**_No. Oh my God, no!_** she thought over and over again as the tears wetted her shaking hands.

"Haylie?" a voice said from the bed beside her. Quickly, Haylie dried her eyes and looked to see who was talking. A black-haired boy with startling green eyes looked questioningly at her.

"HARRY?" Haylie exclaimed. "But...but I...but you...OH MY GOD, YOU'RE ALIVE!" She said, jumping out of her bed and flinging her arms around him.

"OW! Haylie, please g'off!" Harry said, obviously in great pain. Embarassed and looking apologetic, Haylie stepped back. Harry was rubbing his ribs gingerly, flinching. "Geez, you're worst then Hermione!"

"I'm sorry," Haylie said earnestly.

"Forget about it," Harry said, waving it off. "Just-don't do it again."

"Aye, aye, Cap'n!" Haylie said springing into a quick salute. She and Harry laughed and Haylie put her hand down.

"Listen, Harry, do you remember much of last night?" Haylie asked, suddenly looking a little uncomfortable. Harry was silent for a minute.

"All of it, actually," Harry said quietly.

"Then, do you mind telling me? After I-" Haylie paused. "You know... **_'change'_**, I rarely remember exactly what happened."

"No, I don't mind," Harry said. He paused, collecting his thoughts. "Well, when you changed, we battled for a while. Volde-"Haylie flinched at hearing the name. "Sorry," Harry apologized. "I mean, You-Know-Who was taunting me, trying to catch me off-guard I guess. Well, it worked. You-"

"Hold on, Harry," Haylie cut it sharply. "Please don't say that-that **_thing_** was me. I had no control over it."

"Sorry," Harry said quickly. "Well,**_ it_** whammed me into the wall. It broke a couple of my ribs, so I couldn't defend myself. But, just before the werewolf killed me, something happened. The thing paused, and a really bright light shone out of it. I couldn't see it for a second. When the light vanished, I saw you on your hands and knees. You said something. I think it was; "Thank God" and then you collapsed. The door opened at that exact moment. It was Dumbledore and everyone else. He carried you outside while two other helped me out. Dumbledore made a Port-Key and sent us straight to the Hospital Wing this morning."

Both were silent for a few minutes, until Harry spoke again.

"What happened?" Harry asked her. "How did you turn back? You weren't supposed to until the sun rose, right?" Haylie hesitated.

"Are you a Christian?" Haylie asked.

"I guess so," Harry said. "I've been to church every once in a while with the Dursley's. That's yet another reason why they hate magic. They think it's the Devil's work or something. You know, this is the first time somebody has asked my about my religion..."

"But do you believe in God?" Haylie asked.

"Yah, pretty much. Why?"

"He's the one who saved me. That white light - I think that was Him."

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A few hours later, the two were allowed to go to their common room. To Haylie's great disappointment, and shock, Madam Pomfry told her she still had werewolf blood.

"But I was sure..." Haylie said to Harry as they left.

"Maybe somebody up there is testing you, then," Harry said. "He probably wants you to still be a werewolf for some purpose."

"You know, you may be right," Haylie said thoughtfully.

When the two came back to the common room, they found themselves wrapped up in bear hugs by Ron, Ginny, and Hermione.

"Thank goodness you two are all right!" Hermione squealed.

"Dumbledore told us that you got into a fight with You-Know-Who or something, and all you got out of it was a few broken ribs!" Ron said to Harry. "How'd you do it, mate? We're all dying to hear!"

Haylie and Harry looked at each other. Then Haylie sighed.

"We need to talk to you in private," Haylie said to Ron and Hermione. "You might as well come too, Ginny."

The five of them walked to a remote corner in the common room. They all sat down.

"What is it?" Hermione asked.

"Harry didn't get into a fight with You-Know-Who," Haylie said. "He got in a fight with me."

Ron, Hermione, and Ginny all looked questionably at Harry.

"I'm a werewolf," Haylie said.

The three were silent for a second, until Hermione pumped a fist in the air.

"Hah! I knew it!" she said triumphantly. "That's why you've been disappearing every month." Haylie nodded.

"So..." Haylie said slowly. "Are you all right with that?"

"'Course we are!" Ron said. "We're all you mates here! Anyway, we already know another werewolf. Lupin. Remember him during our third year?"

"Of course I do," Haylie said. "He was my only friend until this year. We've been keeping in touch. He's really a great person."

"We know," the four of them, including Harry chorused.

"Hey, have you two had lunch yet?" Ron asked.

"No," Haylie and Harry said at the same time.

"Here," Ron said, pulling a few tarts from his pocket. "I saved these for you two in case you were hungry." Haylie and Harry took one and thanked him. Haylie ate hers ravenously. The four of them stared at her.

"What?" Haylie said. "I haven't had anything sweet ever since I was kidnapped!"

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The next few months slipped by without much excitement, except for Haylie's monthly absences, which were served in an empty classroom this time.

Easter passed, and they took their exams in May. As the end of the year approached, however, Haylie started to wonder if she should tell Harry about Lia. He did have a right to know. But every time she had a chance to tell him about it, she chickened out.

Finally, the end-of-the-year feast came. Gryffindor, for the sixth year running, was awarded the House Cup. After the feast, as usual, Dumbledore stood to make a speech.

"This has been yet another wonderful year!" he said. "New chances, new opportunities, and new friendships." As he said that, Haylie swore he glanced her way. "But, I'm sad to announce, our Potions and Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Severus Snape, has resigned."

The whole Gryffindor table, including some of the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws, had to use all their self-control to keep from cheering.

"Next year, we will find new teachers to fill in these spots. Before we leave to pack, let us all raise our goblets in a final farewell to Professor Snape," Dumbledore said, raising his cup. Almost reluctantly, everyone else raised their goblets.

"I wonder why he resigned," Ron said quietly to Harry.

"It's probably because of the strain," Haylie said. "Two classes and a secret spying job? Talk about stress."

"Hey, Haylie," Hermione said. "I've just realized-You have an accent."

"What?"

"You sound British."

"Oh," Haylie said, smiling. "It happens every year. During the summer I visit relatives in the U.S., so I sound American until I get back to Hogwarts. Listening and talking to you all makes me sound British."

"You're quite adaptive," Hermione said, nodding.

"That's exactly the word I was going to say," Haylie told her, still grinning.

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The next day, when the four of them (Ron, Hermione, Haylie, and Harry) left the Hogwarts Express, they all gave Haylie their addresses so she could write to them. Haylie also gave her address to each of them.

"This isn't my actual address, it's my aunt's," Haylie told them. "We're staying at her house for pretty much the whole summer. Are you sure your owls can endure long flights like that?"

"Hedwig probably could, but I'm not sure about Pig," Ron said. "I might have to rent one of those long-distance mail owls at the post office in Diagon Alley."

"I better do that too," Hermione said.

"Natasha!" a woman's voice called from the crowd.

"Hi Mom," Haylie said, waving her hand as a couple pushed through the crowd toward her.

"Hello, hon. Have a nice year?" Haylie's mom asked with a clearly American accent.

"Yah, it was really good," Haylie said. "Mom, Dad. These are my friends. Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger."

"It's so nice to meet you three," her mom said, beaming. Haylie rolled her eyes.

"C'mon, Haylie. Let's go before the traffic gets us stuck here!" her dad said.

"Alright," Haylie said. "Hold on."

She then turned and gave each of her new friends a hug.

"Thank you so much for accepting me," she said in a quiet voice. "You're the only friends my age I've had for...seven **_years_**."

"Well, you a nice person. I'm glad we're friends," Hermione said. "And what's more, you're almost as smart as me, so you can help tutor these two dim-witted slugs."

"Hey!" Ron and Harry said indignantly. Haylie laughed.

"Well, I better go," she said. "See you in a couple months."

"Bye!" the three said simultaneously as she ran off to catch up to her parents.

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THE END!!!!!!

Whooo! I'm finally done. I want to thank all you b-e-a-utiful reviewers for keeping my spirits up! Especially dragonfirechick and Architect04, who reviewed every chapter! I LOVE YOU GUYS! (gives them each a bear hug)

For a special treat, I have posted a soundtrack for SITS on my profile. Before you review, check it out, please!


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